Comments create community, surface long-tail keywords, and keep posts fresh with user-generated updates. Here’s how to get more of them—consistently.
1) Make commenting effortless (remove friction)
- Form fields: Name + email only. Make website/URL optional.
- No puzzles: Avoid unreadable CAPTCHAs; use Akismet/Antispam Bee + a honeypot + rate limiting (v3 invisible if you must).
- Single sign-on (lightweight): Offer 1–2 options (e.g., Continue with Google/Apple), not a wall of icons.
- Mobile-first: Large tap targets, save details for returning commenters, clear error states.
- Guest comments (optional): If spam is under control, allow it—barriers kill good replies.
Goal: Time-to-comment < 20 seconds on any device.
2) Put the box where attention ends (and make it obvious)
- Placement: Comment box directly after the article body—before related posts/ads.
- Jump link: “Skip to comments ↓” at the top for returning readers.
- Visibility cues: Show the comment count near the title and again at the end.
- Threading & sort: Support threaded replies; let users sort by Top or Newest.
- Load smart: Lazy-load long threads, but keep the first screen of comments immediately visible.
3) Ask better questions (and only one or two)
- Which of these tactics have you tried—and what changed?
- What’s one thing I missed? I’ll add good answers to the post.
- Pick one: simplify forms or add SSO. Why that first?
4) Show up & keep the thread alive
- Reply fast: Aim for < 24 hours. Mention people by name; ask a follow-up.
- Highlight author replies: Style them differently so readers scan for them.
- Close the loop: Edit the post with “Update: Added based on comments from …” and credit by name.
- Pin a helpful comment to model quality.
5) Reward participation (light gamification)
- Badges/labels: Top Contributor, First-timer, Expert.
- Spotlights: Feature a “Comment of the Week” in your newsletter or at the top of the next post.
- Profiles: Let commenters link to one social or site—traceable = higher quality.
- Monthly roundups: Summarize the best advice from comments and link back.
6) Bring people back with notifications (but respect inboxes)
- Subscribe to replies: Checkbox to get notified when someone replies to their comment (default off).
- Digest option: Weekly comment digest instead of instant pings.
- Reply-by-email (if supported): Lower effort → longer threads.
7) Set clear rules & moderate consistently
- Short guidelines above the box: be kind, stay on topic, no self-promo without value.
- Consistent enforcement: Remove spam/trolling quickly; explain edits when you can.
- Civility tools: Word filters for slurs; first-comment manual approval if needed.
8) Tools (WordPress-friendly)
- Spam control: Akismet or Antispam Bee + a honeypot field.
- UX upgrades: Keep native WordPress or use wpDiscuz for fast, native-looking threads.
- Notifications: Subscribe to Comments Reloaded / Comment Reply Email.
- Editing grace: Simple Comment Editing (let users fix a typo for ~5 minutes).
- SSO: Minimal SSO (Google/Apple). Avoid heavy, ad-injected systems.
9) Measure what actually moves the needle
comment_view(box seen),comment_start,comment_submit- % posts with ≥1 comment; median comments/post
- Return rate of commenters (30/60/90 days)
- Time to first author reply
- Assisted conversions from sessions with comment activity
10) End-of-post prompt pack (copy/paste)
- If you had to choose just one tactic from this list to try this week, which is it—and why?
- What’s your fastest fix to increase comments that I didn’t mention?
- Drop a link to a post you wish had more discussion—I’ll read and leave the first comment.
Quick checklist
- Comment box directly after article body
- Name + email only, no hostile CAPTCHA
- Specific, actionable prompt at the end
- Author replies styled + pinned example comment
- Subscribe to replies (opt-in) or weekly digest
- Clear guidelines, consistent moderation
- Event tracking for starts/submits/replies