Connect With Me-- I'm All Over The Place!
Reader Appreciation, showing some luv.
Posted On: July 31, 2008Posted In: Blogging Tips, IMwithJoe.com, Traffic and SEO, Video Blogging
Comments: 29 Responses
Bloggers should appreciate their readers
It’s no secret, that blogs would not be anything without the people who chose to read them. Today, I want to thank all my readers for coming by and reading the stuff I put out. I also want to talk about various ways you can show your appreciateion.
Make Your Blog DoFollow
A way to say thank you to your readers is to make links on the blog dofollow. There are many schools of thought on this one, but, the fact is, a do follow blog will draw out more comments. If nothing more than the commentor will get a link back to their site 
There is a whole movement dedicated to DoFollow or removing the NoFollow attribute from links.
I really am still undecided on this myself, I hear from both sides, those that say it’s great and those that say it will effect your rank. Either way, there are a couple of plugins that will help to make your blog dofollow. They give you the choice of what you want to make nofollow and what is dofollow. For those that don’t know, dofollow simply tells the search bots to follow the link to the location.
You can use the DoFollow Plugin from Kimmo or you can use the No Follow Free Plugin from Michele.
Reward Blog Commentors With Comment Plugins
Another way to show the love is to use various plugins within your comment form to give them a little help, some seo luv, or even show their latest blog post. You can also use the Top Commentator plugin to show your top commentors some love with  a link on your sidebar.
This can be and is quickly becoming the most efficient way to show some link luv without giving out all your link juice. You can make you comments and such nofollow, while the top commentators will    be dofollow. I still am undecided if I want to change what I do with my comments section. For now they are dofollow, but that may change   and I may just leave the top commentator as follow.
Along with the top commentator plugin, we have Keyword Luv by Stephen, which will remove all those “super duper vacum buster”  persons lol, now you can have a name and your desired keyword.          All you have to do is type your name @ “your desired keyword”            and BAM, your keyword anchor text back to your site. Please note,     this only provides goodness if you are using nofollow.
In addition to that, we use Comment Luv by FiddyP, which will grab    your latest blog post. This one has a good effect no matter if your      blog is dofollow or nofollow. This one will always be on my blog.
Also, checkout Reader’s Appreciation Project for more tips and Yan’s post on best places to get quality backlinks
Page Rank and Link Juice Explained
And for all the visual learners out there…here is some visual aid to help drive some of the concepts home
July 31st, 2008 at 9:09 am
Hitting the proverbial nail on the head here take a note from Normal Joe and take care of your readers. This can help you discover new friends to network with and build future business endeavors as well.
Checkout Big Ben Pattons last blog post..Five Fast And Hard Blogging For Cash Tips
Reply
Normal Joe (2116 comments) Reply:
July 31st, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Indeed Ben, it amazes me how many disregard their readers. That’s why I make it a point and try to reply to every comment I get. The whole idea of a blog is interaction, without it…a blog is just another website with no type of life in it
Reply
July 31st, 2008 at 10:07 am
It’s a nice gesture to appreciate and thank your readers for their participation. Dofollow or otherwise, you can always count on me as one of your loyal readers. You have me at the first “hello” so do I get to take the trophy back home, Joe?
As what Ben has mentioned, you hit the nail on the head with this article.
Yan
Checkout Blog for Beginnerss last blog post..It’s Christmas in August
Reply
Normal Joe (2116 comments) Reply:
July 31st, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Hahaha, thanks Yan…and sure, if you want to take home the trophy just do a right-click and it’s yours! I don’t think I will make my comments nofollow…I was merely thinking out loud. I think I will stay dofollow as I have from the beginning and see where it gets me on the next PR update…
maybe I’ll get a new certificate!
Reply
July 31st, 2008 at 10:55 am
No slinging griddle cakes on the corner! Dude you are way too funny with your videos! Oh…and Englishmen got no Mr Bubbles!!!
Dude, I just finished writing a post in a similar vein as this. Giving some link love to the community. Just cam over to let you know that you got some love!
I am dofollow, use linkluv and regularly let my readers know how much I appreciate them. At the end of the day I would rather have a good following of people and build a great community than have PR. I agree with you on the startup blogs and that but I try to put the work in to get more link juice coming in than I spend going out!
If people are leaving you good comments (like this one) which google will love due to the content then why not give a little love back?
I appreciate your certificate of appreciation Joe. Keep on styling!
P.S your link juice demo just made me gotta go pee
Checkout theaffiliateposts last blog post..Post Number Fifty One
Reply
Normal Joe (2116 comments) Reply:
July 31st, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Hahahaha, Yeah AP I’ll be over to check it out, I’ve got some catchup to due with blog reading……
I’ve been dofollow from the jump and I moderate any spam so…I think I will most likely let it roll. Building a community around the blog and helping out each other is way more important. Plus, I still think it is the true way to build organically…nofollow was put in place to fight spammers, before that…the search engines worked on dofollow and that’s how the relationships between sites were built. At least that’s my take on it and I’m no pro so….just my opinion.
Reply
July 31st, 2008 at 11:48 am
Hey, it’s nice to show your appreciation! I must say I thought about that PR & do follow thing and I came to similar conclusions. As you said: “PR is cool, but it’s not everything”. You know, PR is only good for Google, outside of Google it doesn’t matter at all, so I prefer to build a nice community of loyal readers than invest everything in Google.
Reply
Normal Joe (2116 comments) Reply:
July 31st, 2008 at 2:44 pm
I agree…I will most likely keep it the same and see how it turns out. As long as I keep getting readers and quality comments like you guys give me then there’s no reason for me to change anything.
Reply
July 31st, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Hilarious! Aunt jemima lmao.
Reply
July 31st, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Niiiiice – only, we don’t have those Aunt Jamima-ey things in Mexico so that’s just a tease.
PR- I’m sticking with DoFollow WHILE complaining about my going from a 3 to a 1 with my recent link love campaign. “Give me back my points Google!”
Reply
Normal Joe (2116 comments) Reply:
July 31st, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Hey hey, whatsup Jeni! Yeah, that’s how I feel, I think I’m just gonna roll with it and see what happens. I much rather show luv than not….the more ways the better and my readers all have quality sites so….that shouldn’t be an issue.
Did you get in Yaro’s Course yet? How do you like it?
Checkout Normal Joes last blog post..Reader Appreciation, showing some luv.
Reply
Bri Jeni (5 comments) Reply:
July 31st, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Should be in by tonight! Transfer was final today. Yippie!!!!
Luv luv luv…
Reply
Normal Joe (2116 comments) Reply:
July 31st, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Cool, can’t wait to hear what you think! Have fun….
July 31st, 2008 at 11:09 pm
@ Joe: I really dig your style man! Great stuff. very relaxed. It’s a refreshing change to see someone who cares more about good old fashioned organic blogging than trying to sell me something.
You’re on your way yo an A-Lister!
Checkout Piss Biscuits last blog post..5 Great Ways to Lose Page Rank
Reply
Normal Joe (2116 comments) Reply:
August 1st, 2008 at 2:59 am
Thanks Pisser!
Yeah man…I just try to be me…I’ll promote/sell stuff if I really think it will help, I just don’t want people to see a sales pitch everytime they come to the site…I could, but that would make me like everyone else and well…..I like to be different!
An A-lister…hmmm….I don’t know but I do know I want to be known as the blogger/marketer who is honest! I don’t want to be promoting the next new “data entry job” to my readers if you know what I mean. Real talk, real opinions, from a real person…what you see is what you get…this is me folks
love it or hate it
Thanks Biscuit, can’t wait until our lil convo!
Reply
August 1st, 2008 at 5:30 am
Completely agree with showing your readers appreciation – without them you wouldn’t really exist
Checkout Da Bloggers last blog post..Win $50.00 Paypal For Commenting
Reply
Normal Joe (2116 comments) Reply:
August 1st, 2008 at 6:02 am
I totally agree man, and yeah…I signed up for your contest! See, comment luv working right there
Reply
August 1st, 2008 at 6:44 am
I always visit and comment blogs which appreciate its readers with dofollow and commentluv.
Checkout Mobile PCs last blog post..New Dell E mini laptop announced
Reply
Normal Joe (2116 comments) Reply:
August 1st, 2008 at 7:48 am
Great, hope to see you around more…I love the news on your site…I’d like to get me one of those mini laptops!
Reply
August 1st, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Yo Joe! That video cracked me up man. So true on the close-ups and
lol@ slangin’ griddle cakes!
I don’t get the bubble bath though. My bubble bath was an E.T. (the movie) bottle, so maybe that’s why.
My favorite part was the silent pause for effect during the pouring of the link juice. lol. Awesome!
Itt sounds like loyal readers are more important to you, so screw PR! lol.
(Link) Love conquers all!
Please, more vids!
Jay
Reply
Normal Joe (2116 comments) Reply:
August 1st, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Jay! dude….thanks for stopping by, I freakin love your blog man
That character on there is soooooooooo dope, and…looks just like you!
Glad you liked the vid man, hope you become a regular round these parts…
I try to keep it honest and real. Them griddle cakes is on point, you want to see em for real you should peep my latest post!
Checkout Normal Joes last blog post..How to Develop An Efficient Blog Commenting Strategy
Reply
August 1st, 2008 at 7:48 pm
I have been back and forth about adding dofollow to my utow blog as well. I decided to show my readers some love by installing no follow free. Just today, I activated it.
I have always had commentluv though
Checkout EmmaBs last blog post..Got approved by Market Leverage
Reply
Normal Joe (2116 comments) Reply:
August 2nd, 2008 at 8:38 am
Yeah…I had it on there from the beginning and I’m just going to roll with it and see where it takes me. The site is growing and people are being active and that’s all I could ask for.
Reply
October 24th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
Hi Joe,
Came across a review of your site in my travels and have stopped by a couple of times to read here and there. I’m learning a lot. Thanks!
Dot
Checkout Dots last blog post..Weird Tip Tuesday – Smelly Feet
Reply
Normal Joe (2116 comments) Reply:
October 26th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Welcome to the site DOT and glad you decided to get involved. Glad you like it here.
Reply
March 10th, 2009 at 12:09 am
Wow. Now then I know what commentluv does. lol. I’ve been hearing about it but do not fully understand what is so good about it.
Reply
Normal Joe (2116 comments) Reply:
March 10th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Cool, glad you get it! Welcome to the site.
Reply
March 21st, 2009 at 10:27 am
I do follow and use the plugin. It has increased my sites performance and would recommend it.
Thanks
Tony
Checkout Tony @ sports betting pickss last blog post..Texas versus Duke Free March Madness NCAA College Basketball Pick
Reply
Normal Joe (2116 comments) Reply:
March 21st, 2009 at 5:21 pm
It increased your performance by way of speed of the site or by how many visitors and and how much traffic you get? It’s a good plugin either way.
Reply