When leaving comments on blogs using Blogger's native comment system, you're given 3 options for leaving your name: Blogger, Other, Annoymous. I always choose "Other". Here's why.

If I choose "Blogger", someone clicking the link on my name will be taken to my Blogger profile page. This has a link to my very old Bad Money site that I haven't updated in 2 years, which is very lame, and has no link to my Bad Example site. If someone clicks the link in a comment I've left, that means they think I'm brilliantly witty and want to read more of my stuff. Far be it from me to disappoint them.

If you have a non-Blogspot-hosted site, but choose "Blogger" anyway because you like having the convenience of having your information automatically filled in for you, check your profile page to make sure there's a link to your site there. If someone wants to read you, it's best to make it easy for them.

If you ARE currently using a Blogspot-hosted site, consider using "Other" anyway so that a single click will take a curious reader to your main page instead of having to stop at your profile first. More convenience means more traffic. Don't miss out just because someone on dial-up didn't want to wait for a second page to load.

Finally, if you ARE on a Blogspot-hosted site and you use the "Blogger" option for the convenience of having your information filled in automatically, double-check your profile page to make sure there's a direct link to your site there. Blogger doesn't do that automatically when you sign up, so it might not be there.

As I mentioned in my "Fighting Invisibility" post, leaving on-topic comments at other people's blogs is a good way to get traffic. A well-phrased comment can lead the curious to your front page. It's to your benefit to ensure that you can be found.

UPDATE 5-24-05: [If you've found this post useful enough to blog about, send a trackback or e-mail the permalink to me at harvolson-at-gmail.com and I'll add you to my Bad Example Groupies blogroll. See this post for details]

Posted by: Harvey at 06:16 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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