Granada Nicaragua
Blog spam does not only annoy both bloggers and readers.
Heavy spam:
- dissolves credibility
- fragments community
- stresses servers with a heavy load of utterly worthless traffic.
I closed down blog comments years ago mainly due to the sick volume of spammers hurting the user experience for all of you. My blog loaded slowly – when the VPS had no business doing so – for the tsunami of spammers camped out on Blogging From Paradise Dot Com and its server to drop their virtual dung.
After closing comments my server resources freed up to create a stronger UX for legit community members.
Spamming Is Part of the Blogging Game
Dealing with blog comment spam is part of the game.
Being seen means being spammed.
Being exposed to the general public means that some inevitably spam your blog with off topic comments. Think of this as a “critical mass” deal. Most want something for nothing. Being seen by the gen pop guarantees that most want to spam your blog.
Why do I lead off with this blogging truth?
Bloggers who do everything possible to avoid spam because they fear spammers also grossly limit their exposure. Not being seen by a chunk of targeted traffic means zero organic traffic and zero income.
Spamming will happen. Accept this reality.
Following these tips reduces comment spam while increasing your peace of mind.
1: Use Akismet
Akismet boasts of itself being the Gandalf of blocking blog spam.
“Spam shall not pass.”
I even spied this bold statement on the official site.
I agree.
Being a user for a wee bit I suggest grabbing Akismet to keep spam at bay. However the algorithm does it, the Big A prevents spam comments from sneaking onto your blog.
2: Approve Genuine Comments Only
Approve only authentic comments to attract mainly authentic comments.
I swear that spammers creep around comment fields like hungry predators, waiting to pounce the moment one or more spam comments worm their way through. If spammers see one spam comment approved most try to squeeze one in themselves. Why not? Perhaps their fellow blogger appears to be asleep at the blogging wheel. What spammer would pass on this opportunity?
Approve only genuine comments. Look for real people who add value through comments. I suggest a 1-2 paragraph minimum because even legit, short and sweet comments attract the wrong crowd. Ya know, the
“Hey Ryan NICE POST!”
crowd.
Genuine comments behave like Kryptonite to spammers.
3: Reply to all Comments
Reply to all comments.
Be a live body.
Give spammers no reason to suspect that one can force a few through under your less than aware eyes.
I reply to most commentors on Blogging From Paradise to build bonds first and foremost. But enjoying the fringe benefit of keeping spammers at bay makes sense too.
Bloggers hide in the cyber shadows. Most lurk before seizing a spamming opportunity.
Reply to all commentors to thwart these individuals. Prove that an active, alert, spam-swatting blogger runs your site to send these spamming suckers sprinting for the cyber hills.
4: Comment Genuinely on Blogs from Your Niche
I discovered that dropping thorough comments on blogs from your niche attracted genuine commentors to your blog.
Even better?
Spammers do not even bother if they only see genuine comments published to your blog.
Of course this dovetails on tip #2. But the symbolism runs a bit deeper. People who want to cheat stay away from legit bloggers who put in honest work. Does a crook crash a party filled with truthful, hard-working, generous individuals? Nope. Birds of a blogging feather flock together.
Dropping authentic, detailed comments on blogs from your niche attracts:
- fellow genuine bloggers to comment thoroughly on your blog
- comments from readers who follow those bloggers; these people appreciate your detailed take and migrate to your blog to share their valuable thoughts
5: Moderate All Comments
Moderate everything.
Exercise full quality control.
Never rely on an artificial element to vet spam. AI can and is fooled. Spammers clock something artificial.
Highly experienced human bloggers never get fooled because we have seen every spamming approach under the sun.
Moderate all comments to prevent spam from littering your blog. Do the leg work even if it feels like grunt work. Prioritize your:
- blog
- brand
- community
to guarantee that only legit comments grace your blog.
6: Blacklist Spammer Email Addresses
Never let a cyber weasel sneak back onto your blog to poop a spam comment.
Blacklist spammer email addresses to block these individuals from dropping their cyber stink on your blog.
In your WordPress Dot Org backoffice click on:
- “Settings”
- “Discussion”
- look for “Comment Moderation”
- type in the word or IP address consistent with spam comments
7: Approve Civil Comments Only
Controversy Alert; people who disagree rudely do not deserve to spam your blog. Nasty comments constitute spam. Is fighting, insulting and condemning ever on topic? Or do uncivilized, nasty, combative comments move focus away from sharing value via honest discourse towards a virtual fight?
I only allow polite disagreements to appear in my comments. Fighters, haters and skeptics deliver chaos not value. People who break down versus building up have no place in the comments field. Airing grievances is off topic spam because any attempt to pull apart a community has nothing to do with your blog, does it?
8: Never Join Blog Commenting Threads
Blog commenting threads attract both genuine commentors and spammers.
Unfortunately, struggling bloggers on these threads often feel that spamming their short, less than genuine comments seems like a smart way to drive traffic and business.
The ratio is skewed from my experience.
Keep commenting thread spammers away from your blog; never join a commenting thread.
9: Disable Pingbacks and Trackbacks
Both pingbacks and trackbacks are fairly dated methods guaranteed to attract a steady flow of spam.
Disable pingbacks and trackbacks to lessen spam.
Think like a spammer. Most desire the easiest way to drop a link on your website. Does it get easier than duping unsuspecting bloggers with a pingback and trackback?
Bloggers excited to get ’em rarely if ever scan for their legitimacy.
Disable ’em to disable most blog comment spammers.
10: Remove URL Fields from Comments
Do you want to send spammers into online oblivion?
Watch how fast the roaches scatter when you take away the option to drop a blog link.
Most want to get quick, easy exposure for a blog or website. Remove URL fields to repel spammers.
My spam dropped almost 100% after employing this tactic.
Spammers almost always want link exposure.
Remove it to remove almost all spammers.
Conclusion
Get rid of spammers.
Achieve peace of mind.
Build a cohesive community.
Improve the user experience for your tribe.
Follow the above tips to send spammers packing for good.
