Everyone likes to receive comments. I often talk to people who tell me they pour out their heart in a post only to receive one or two comments. It’s depressing because we all like feedback.
One simple tip that makes it easier for people to comment on your site (and in return get more comments) is to place the comment link at the bottom of your article.
I’ve often read a long post then looked for a place to leave a comment only to have to scroll back up to the top of the post to click on the “comments” link. While I typically will still leave a comment many readers are not web savvy enough to know to look for a comment link in another place or do not have time to search for it.
While the simple link placement does not guarantee you will receive more comments it definitely makes your blog more reader friendly and I think you will see an increase in comments by moving the link to the bottom of your posts.
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I noticed a drop-off in comments due to a layout change, and I realized that people had to scroll quite a bit to get from the end of the post to the comment (past ads and suggested reads).
Adding the in-text link to the comments has helped to make them easier to find AND it allows a direct link to the comment box for those reading my blog via RSS.
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Even though it says how many comments I have on each post at the bottom (which, I’m sad to say, is often none) there is nowhere explicit that says where to leave your own comment. I guess I have some changing to do! Thanks for the tip!
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I have noticed something similar related to affiliate marketing. You tend to get more clicks on ads if you put them at the tops of your pages, from what I can tell. Of course this is the flip side of the commenting phenomena. Blog visitors don’t have to read your whole post to click onto another site, after all.
Still, both examples show the importance of layout and design in blogging.
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