I’ve been noticing an increase in negative comments in the blog. The commentators aren’t happy with the level of advertising, number of ReviewMe reviews, promotion of AGLOCO, food posts, etc. They warn that the blog is not what it used to be, that I am on a slippery slope, and that my traffic will go down if I continue on this path. My reply to all this is, “Thanks for making my blog bigger.”
Negative Comments Are A Good Thing
I actually look forward to negative comments in my blog because it’s an indication of growth. This is a general rule to keep in mind: as your blog gets bigger, the number of negative comments increases. Therefore, don’t look at negative comments in a blog as a bad thing. It’s really a good thing - your blog is growing! Evil rule to remember: if you’re not pissing somebody off, you’re not doing it right.
This does not mean you should purposely try to piss readers off. That would be stupid. What is does mean is you cannot please everyone all the time and you shouldn’t even try. That goal is not possible no matter how much we wish for it. The blogsphere is too diverse a place for everyone to be happy with what you have to say or do.
Negative Comments Encourage Discussions
Let’s face it, a blog comment section would be pretty boring if everyone replied, “Great post! I completely agree with you.” Having a negative comment show up in a post encourages discussions among the readership. It’s the same as a flame war in a forum. While many people say flame wars are bad, most forum owners won’t stop it once it starts because it generates a lot of traffic and traffic equals money.
This is one reason why I allow negative comments on the blog. I know the negative comments will bring people on both sides of the issue to post their views. It’s ironic that the negative commentators warning of traffic decline are in fact helping to increase traffic.
People Who Say They’re Leaving Don’t
No one really completely leaves a site. They may not visit as often as they used to but it’s rare for anyone to never come back. I’ve had commentators post that my blog had changed for the worst and they’re leaving and never coming back. The next day, they’re flaming me again for another post.
How To Handle A Negative Comment
The best way to handle a negative comment is to thank the reader for making it and then address his concerns. Never flame the reader even if he flames you. That makes you look extremely unprofessional. While you can edit a negative comment for profanity, you should never delete it. A comment is the same as content and content drives traffic.
The next time you read a few negative comments on your blog, don’t look at it as a bad thing. Instead, it’s a sign that your blog is growing and you’re doing something right. If you never get a negative comment on your blog, you’re doing it wrong.
Find out what I am doing right now by following me on Twitter! If you like this post then please consider subscribing to my full feed RSS. You can also subscribe by Email and have new posts sent directly to your inbox.
(24 votes, average: 3.29 out of 5)
Loading ...
Here's A Few More Related Posts
I totally agree . . . I mean . . . you suck! I’m never coming EVER!!!
Who is John Chow ?
The Master
The root of all evil of course
I expected to see this as the first comment…just didn’t know from who?
I try to keep all comments regardless, of what they say. We had one person cuss up a storm, and I edited it so that the comments wern’t the actual words, but left symbols to give you the fu*%en idea.
You should have seen that follow up comment…that I couldn’t post
It’s ok to delete or edit profane comments. However, deleting negative comments is nothing less than cowardly!
You have to be a (censored) to delete a negative comment!
lol…i like the censorship
Censorship rules!
But I generally keep everything. I don’t get much flack, but do from time to time. John’s right though. They spur on discussion.
We do our best to leave all comments up, but in a case like that, I think we’d moderate it.
[...] How To Handle Negative Comments In A Blog - This article is a good read for blogs that get negative comments. It teaches you to understand that negative comments are actually a good thing, because they spark discussion and show that your blog is growing. [...]
I agree .
Covering the long and short of the gold market, I know what you mean. So many emotions evolved.
Keep up your good work , I like your site.
John, while I have been reading your blog for 6+ months now and have found so much of your content to be useful and applicable, it is unfortunate that when someone types “make money online” into Google and they come to this page first, they will not see even one post on the front page about making money online. I understand this is your blog and you can do what you want with it, but if you commit to focusing the theme of your blog on making money online, you should consider writing less ReviewMe’s and less food posts and instead focus on your theme. If this blog was just featuring ReviewMe’s and food posts, which it has been lately, I would never visit it.
It is also unfortunate you have surpassed ProBlogger in the rankings for “make money online” because Darren’s articles are much more on topic about the phrase you have so actively tried to rank for.
I’d have to agree with Nate’s points here. . .
Me too, anyone notice that the usual top commentators have moved on….
I was thinking the same thing, and the number of comments have dropped as well. It was common for John to have 100+ comments on a single post.
We’re starting a new site…what’s your excuse Sam???
I’m trying to put more work into my own. Top commentators disappearing suggests that they’ve learned something here and are applying it.
Jane, i have to tell that at least this post has 82 comments so far :).
So it seems lots of people still come here.
At my blog I try to do what Nate says, and post only about my topic (which is linux), but If John wants to post about anything, Just like Nate also says, it is its blog.
But John just a suggestion, maybe you can create a category where you off-topic posts goes, and keep only the on-topic post on the front page.
Just my two cents.
I’m not sad to see some of them move on. Some of the past top commentators were… extremely brief… with some of the comments that they left.
I used to read this blog every day, now I visit maybe once a fortnight.
The blog used to discuss the importance of quality content and winning readers, now there is a stream of paid posts, and this, a post on negative comments…. and a noticable shift in focus towards Google traffic…..
Unfortunately transient traffic pays and steady readership doesn’t. Hence the progressive shift in focus.
I’m not going anywhere
Nate,
I respect your views and found your comment well thought out. But when I come here, every time I come here, I learn something about making money online. John is number one for a reason and although Darren’s articles are great, I come to John’s page more, and for one thing, to learn how to make money online. I am an entrepreneur, journalist, and publisher, and I find John’s level of understanding in all aspects of blogging, both optimization and content, are exceptional. He has helped me to double unique visits twice in three days. All I hope to do is improve. What John is doing takes vision. Thank you again,
Blogger-Rising.Blogspot
John is number one for a reason - that’s not really a valid point. John asked everyone to Google Bomb him using the words “Make Money Online”…
good point. There should be a line as to where you are with marketing your site and the content being reflected. I think for the most part, it’s still about making money online, but has been diluted with the off topic posts. But a person can easily go to the archive section or top posts at the top of the page to find those making money online tips.
Hard to balance.
Word.
Word.
Word up! [/Cameo]
I was doing some searches on Google to research what other sites are doing in terms of SEO work and when I searched for “make money online” John’s site is no longer in the SERPs.
That’s due to Google changing which page they’re ranking for that phrase. It happens to me from time to time when I have a category that closely matches a particular post and they end up competing for the top spot. Then, despite the fact that they’re neck and neck with each other internally, they have significant differences in rankings. There’s much to be learned in that tidbit, for those who are interested.
Still result 1 and 2 for me
Actually, if you do a search on Google for “make money online”, Bidvertiser is #1, John’s #2 and I’m #3…again (The Squidoo lens “Make Money Online” is mine). Darren is once again #4. For a while there was some other site there, but he’s back.
I agree with Nate mostly. I find variety fun at times, but a little too much food here!
I love the food.
Keep it coming.
I see it differently. John wants to make money with his blog and for sure he is doing it. His entire blog is the best article about making money online.
) and I simply ignore them, but I’m interested in this REAL EXAMPLE that is this entire blog and see what actions he takes to monetize this blog.
I’m not interested in next Jhon’s dinner (in fact I am not able to recognize most of that food
In summary, I don’t look for specific literature about how to make money, I want to see a real site doing it and then, use what I see interesting and discarding what is too much evil for me.
BTW John, will you show how much you did in March ? are you now a Google Whore ? Let us dream with those figures.
I agree. There should be a balance of ReviewMe reviews and actual articles about making money online. I hate to make the comparison, but ProBlogger “appears” to have a more long term approach to “making money online”, than John Chow. A list of articles on top of your page might help.
Isn’t the fact that JC now ranks for ‘make money online’ more Google’s problem than JC’s? - JC isn’t even in the top 10 on yahoo.
Woah!
Neither is mine and I’m listed third on Google?? I do get a lot of traffic from other search engines, but I’ll have to check into that.
Good observation!
I agree this site is getting to cluttered with ReviewMes and Aglocos. I HATE IT AND I AM NEVER COMING BACK!!!
P.S. Ill see you guys tomorrow.
Classic LOL we’ll be seeing a whole lot of the same people tomorrow, that’s for sure.
Well said John! I thought it was so good I actually submitted it to Digg for others to read who may not know of your blog yet:
http://www.digg.com/tech_news/How_To_Handle_Negative_Comments_In_A_Blog
i tend to agree with nate; perhaps you should place a article repository at the top for those that come here searching for make money online? or perhaps a customized landing page?
Hi ‘Best CD rates’,
Can you tell me how you should do that?
I once visited a site that welcomed me for being a google visitor with a certain keyword I used.
I couldn’t figure out how they did it, can you tell me? And John, maybe this is worth a post?
Thanks.
Just a matter of finding the right script or plugin. You could take a look at something called Landing Pages. That might do it.
Check the referrer (to determine where the visitor came from) and the querystring of the the referrer to see what keywords they used.
ps i thought john was banned from digg? O_O
John is not banned he is just on auto-bury, which is basically Digg’s Banned v2.0.
The Digg links under his posts are just a decoration!
they look pretty
John,
I personally think that your blog would be too boring if it was only talking about money making and SEO tips. Its good to have a little bit of variety. I also think that its cool you share your travelling / dinner experiences with us.
I have a questions for naysayers. How many of John’s tips have you implemented on your blogs or sites? I bet not even half of what he gives away because its very hard to utilize everything even if its valuable.
So its better than John gives us one very good moeny making post and we try to apply that and in the meantime he is sharing low key stuff with us. If he started posting 5 awesome money making, get traffic, SEO gold posts, you all will be crying and asking him to slow down.
So John, Keep up the good work buddy.
I do get annoyed with all of the reviewme’s. I enjoy them if it’s a quality product but some of the stuff you review isn’t all that great. Maybe be more selective?
Raise the review prices. It’s should be a win win.
Raise the review prices and give the extra revenue to those who comment…. or just send me the $$