Comments on: Top 9 Reasons DoFollow Can Hurt Your Blog http://collinlahay.com/2008/02/12/top-9-reasons-dofollow-can-hurt-your-blog/ Learn proven link building strategies used by website marketing strategist Collin LaHay. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:32:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Penny Gould http://collinlahay.com/2008/02/12/top-9-reasons-dofollow-can-hurt-your-blog/#comment-4391 Penny Gould Fri, 08 Aug 2008 07:29:14 +0000 http://collinlahay.com/2008/02/12/top-9-reasons-dofollow-can-hurt-your-blog/#comment-4391 I have been following this debate with much interest. I first read about this on Dawaud Miracle's site, and it encouraged me to host my first blog outside of wordpress.com so that I could remove the no-follow. (I'm trying to get up the nerve to hack the code and do it!) I keep a list of blogs with no-follow removed at the bottom of my listcharity.com and onlinegamerkid.com sites. If one wanted they could work their way through the "D" list. I was horrified today when I saw over a dozen comments to adult sites on my children's summer camps blog! http://www.hi-from-cybercamps.com/ I had to scramble to figure out how to force moderation of comments, whew! Shudder to think who might have seen those incredibly offensive comments! Spam is a HUGE problem, but I'v had very good luck with the built in spam blocker Akismet until today :-) I wish I understood what is meant by "link leak". I basically don't bother with page rank at all, I get keyword searches hits and it doesn't seem to matter what the pagerank of the site is for keyword hits.... So my policy is to give links to new sites that need to be found by the robots, and leave comments on posts that are interesting... I encourage people to do what interests them, and success will follow naturally... I have been following this debate with much interest. I first read about this on Dawaud Miracle’s site, and it encouraged me to host my first blog outside of wordpress.com so that I could remove the no-follow. (I’m trying to get up the nerve to hack the code and do it!) I keep a list of blogs with no-follow removed at the bottom of my listcharity.com and onlinegamerkid.com sites. If one wanted they could work their way through the “D” list. I was horrified today when I saw over a dozen comments to adult sites on my children’s summer camps blog! http://www.hi-from-cybercamps.com/ I had to scramble to figure out how to force moderation of comments, whew! Shudder to think who might have seen those incredibly offensive comments! Spam is a HUGE problem, but I’v had very good luck with the built in spam blocker Akismet until today :-)

I wish I understood what is meant by “link leak”. I basically don’t bother with page rank at all, I get keyword searches hits and it doesn’t seem to matter what the pagerank of the site is for keyword hits…. So my policy is to give links to new sites that need to be found by the robots, and leave comments on posts that are interesting… I encourage people to do what interests them, and success will follow naturally…

]]> By: Douglas Karr http://collinlahay.com/2008/02/12/top-9-reasons-dofollow-can-hurt-your-blog/#comment-3994 Douglas Karr Thu, 10 Jul 2008 03:07:33 +0000 http://collinlahay.com/2008/02/12/top-9-reasons-dofollow-can-hurt-your-blog/#comment-3994 I'm not sure I agree with a single point you made here. I've removed <a href="http://www.marketingtechblog.com/2007/10/13/nofollow/" rel="nofollow">nofollow from the source of my blog</a> and it's provided great results. I always have spent time reading comments on my blog and keeping out comments that didn't make sense or didn't add to the conversation. As a result, spam hasn't made it into my blog, nor has my blog been hurt with the search engines. Instead, I'm now getting much improved conversation by folks who may not have commented on my blog in the past since there's an incentive to do so. The bottom line is that user-generated content has helped my blog skyrocket in the search engines (don't measure today, I just did a 301 from another domain name so Google is still shuffling links), not the opposite. With much respect, Doug I’m not sure I agree with a single point you made here. I’ve removed nofollow from the source of my blog and it’s provided great results.

I always have spent time reading comments on my blog and keeping out comments that didn’t make sense or didn’t add to the conversation. As a result, spam hasn’t made it into my blog, nor has my blog been hurt with the search engines.

Instead, I’m now getting much improved conversation by folks who may not have commented on my blog in the past since there’s an incentive to do so.

The bottom line is that user-generated content has helped my blog skyrocket in the search engines (don’t measure today, I just did a 301 from another domain name so Google is still shuffling links), not the opposite.

With much respect,
Doug

]]> By: Mike Gates http://collinlahay.com/2008/02/12/top-9-reasons-dofollow-can-hurt-your-blog/#comment-3744 Mike Gates Sun, 22 Jun 2008 14:54:11 +0000 http://collinlahay.com/2008/02/12/top-9-reasons-dofollow-can-hurt-your-blog/#comment-3744 I normally wouldn't comment on a nofollow blog like this. I always prefer commenting on dofollow blogs because I appreciate getting some credit for adding content to blogs. I get that on dofollow blogs :-) You make some good points, but I will still go dofollow. My blogs are dofollow and it takes me just a few minutes each day to moderate and remove questionable comments (thanks to Spam Karma2). I only leave comments that are related to the post and when I can tell they actually read the post. I can also tell what sort of information is resonating with my readers by the number of quality comments I am getting on posts. I suppose when your blog gets to be really big, it would be impossible to go dofollow. But, I think it is good for smaller blogs that are trying to build a sense of community. Mike I normally wouldn’t comment on a nofollow blog like this. I always prefer commenting on dofollow blogs because I appreciate getting some credit for adding content to blogs. I get that on dofollow blogs :-)

You make some good points, but I will still go dofollow.

My blogs are dofollow and it takes me just a few minutes each day to moderate and remove questionable comments (thanks to Spam Karma2). I only leave comments that are related to the post and when I can tell they actually read the post.

I can also tell what sort of information is resonating with my readers by the number of quality comments I am getting on posts.

I suppose when your blog gets to be really big, it would be impossible to go dofollow. But, I think it is good for smaller blogs that are trying to build a sense of community.

Mike

]]> By: Geeko http://collinlahay.com/2008/02/12/top-9-reasons-dofollow-can-hurt-your-blog/#comment-2293 Geeko Mon, 10 Mar 2008 21:48:48 +0000 http://collinlahay.com/2008/02/12/top-9-reasons-dofollow-can-hurt-your-blog/#comment-2293 Well, I can't see any good reason not to ditch the nofollow thing. Just use an antispam like Askimet and don't publish comments that have nothing to do with your articles. Many, many bloggers don't have a clue anyway. They'll post a comment when and where they feel like posting one. A stupid, long blogroll will harm you more than just comments, especially if it is displayed on every page. Nuff said. Well, I can’t see any good reason not to ditch the nofollow thing. Just use an antispam like Askimet and don’t publish comments that have nothing to do with your articles. Many, many bloggers don’t have a clue anyway. They’ll post a comment when and where they feel like posting one. A stupid, long blogroll will harm you more than just comments, especially if it is displayed on every page.
Nuff said.

]]> By: Max Miroff http://collinlahay.com/2008/02/12/top-9-reasons-dofollow-can-hurt-your-blog/#comment-2167 Max Miroff Sat, 01 Mar 2008 16:47:09 +0000 http://collinlahay.com/2008/02/12/top-9-reasons-dofollow-can-hurt-your-blog/#comment-2167 DoFollow has a bunch of positive points as well, but I'm debating putting it on my blog. It's a hard choice to make - more management/risk vs. a possibility of more comments. DoFollow has a bunch of positive points as well, but I’m debating putting it on my blog. It’s a hard choice to make - more management/risk vs. a possibility of more comments.

]]> By: Is dofollow a bad idea? | ChillyCool Web Digger http://collinlahay.com/2008/02/12/top-9-reasons-dofollow-can-hurt-your-blog/#comment-2159 Is dofollow a bad idea? | ChillyCool Web Digger Fri, 29 Feb 2008 21:10:56 +0000 http://collinlahay.com/2008/02/12/top-9-reasons-dofollow-can-hurt-your-blog/#comment-2159 [...] Top 9 Reasons DoFollow Can Hurt Your Blog At first, this may seem like a great idea and a way to get more comments on your blog as well as get more community involvement, but it also has some very damaging flaws. Here are my nine reasons why joining the dofollow movement can hurt your blog. [...] [...] Top 9 Reasons DoFollow Can Hurt Your Blog At first, this may seem like a great idea and a way to get more comments on your blog as well as get more community involvement, but it also has some very damaging flaws. Here are my nine reasons why joining the dofollow movement can hurt your blog. [...]

]]> By: paulette http://collinlahay.com/2008/02/12/top-9-reasons-dofollow-can-hurt-your-blog/#comment-2115 paulette Mon, 25 Feb 2008 02:56:55 +0000 http://collinlahay.com/2008/02/12/top-9-reasons-dofollow-can-hurt-your-blog/#comment-2115 I beg to disagree with your opinion. Do follow makes your reader feel that they are important to you although time consuming on your part. I beg to disagree with your opinion. Do follow makes your reader feel that they are important to you although time consuming on your part.

]]> By: Mike Huang http://collinlahay.com/2008/02/12/top-9-reasons-dofollow-can-hurt-your-blog/#comment-2044 Mike Huang Wed, 20 Feb 2008 22:53:21 +0000 http://collinlahay.com/2008/02/12/top-9-reasons-dofollow-can-hurt-your-blog/#comment-2044 Great post Collin, thanks for your tips :) -Mike Great post Collin, thanks for your tips :)

-Mike

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