Side Hustle Teachers

A conversation came up recently in the Side Hustle Teachers Facebook group that I knew had to be shared here. What’s up with blog comments? Are they necessary to the growth or of your blog, or just an extra thing to do that doesn’t really give you anything back? Opinions run the gamut on this issue, and you’ll find all sorts of posts about why you should or should not allow comments on your blog.  Some say that comments are good for search engine optimization (SEO). Yes, leaving comments on other blogs can be good for your SEO, because it serves as a linkback to your site. However, there’s no data that suggests permitting users to comment on your blog improves your SEO ranking. Another thought is that comments can improve traffic to your blog, but again, the data doesn’t bear that out. When Michael Hyatt cut off comments on his blog, his traffic grew 74%, soooooo… (It should be noted, though, that he also decided to turn comments back on after a year.) Really, what it comes down to is your personal decision a