The Secret Sauce for a Vibrant Shopify Blog Comments Section [2024 Edition]

Introduction

Legendary blogger Pat Flynn once said, “Without comments, a blog isn’t really a blog. To me, blogging is not just about publishing content, but also the two-way communication and community building aspects behind it.” 

If Pat Flynn emphasizes the importance of comments, you know there's untapped potential waiting for you. So, read on to know how can you, a Shopify store owner, leverage this potential?

Why trust us?

• We're the creators of Bloggle, a dynamic Shopify blog builder that fills the gaps in native Shopify blogging capabilities.
• We're a global force: 2000+ merchants across 60 countries have trusted us to amplify their e-commerce voices.
• Your peers adore us: We have a stellar 4.9/5 rating on the app store.
• We've already empowered 55,000+ blogs written using our app.
• Under our guidance, users have reported up to a 10x boost in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) traffic and revenue.

So, if you're a merchant looking to elevate your Shopify experience, you're in expert hands.

Table of Contents

• Importance of blog comments (Benefits)
• How to add/remove a comments section from your Shopify blog?
• Best practices for the comments section on the Shopify blog
• Conclusion
• FAQs

If you've been neglecting the comments section on your Shopify blog, it's time to change that approach. Here’s why:

It boosts SEO: Increases word count, frequency of keywords, and dwell time

Neil Patel, a renowned digital marketer, found that the comments section brought in 16% of all search traffic for his blog. 

Comments naturally increase the word count of your page and introduce new keywords. This SEO boost is not just theoretical; it's backed by data. When users leave comments, they extend the time they spend on your site, improving the "dwell time" metric, a crucial factor Google considers when ranking your page. When keywords appear in your comments section, it further gives a boost to the SEO.

It builds a community around the brand: Gets people talking about the brand

Community is a term often thrown around, but its impact cannot be understated. An active comments section can transform your Shopify store into a bustling marketplace of ideas, opinions, and feedback. This is where adding comments and replies to your Shopify blog comes into play. It enables your customers to interact not just with you but also with each other. This creates a sense of community that can be immensely beneficial for brand loyalty.

It drives repeat traffic: People come back to continue the conversation

One of the overlooked advantages of a well-managed comments section is that it can bring people back to your site. When someone leaves a comment, they're likely to return to see new replies or to continue the conversation. This is where how to reply to comments on your Shopify blog page becomes crucial. By actively participating in these conversations, you encourage repeat visits, creating a cycle of engagement that search engines love.

It helps you understand customer pain points: Both likes and dislikes are useful

By paying attention to what people are saying in your comments section, you can gain invaluable insights into what your customers care about. Whether they're raving about a product or pointing out areas for improvement, these comments are a goldmine for understanding customer pain points. This is where blog comments become an invaluable tool for market research.

Comments sections can be a source of understanding pain points of your customers. Source: Atlassian Support

Step 1

Login to your Shopify Store

Step 2

Head to ‘Online Store > Blog posts’

Step 3

Click on Manage blogs

Step 4

Click on the blog for which you want to manage comments (enable or disable comments)

Step 5

Choose from among the 3 options:

1. Comments are disabled
2. Comments are allowed, pending moderation
3. Comments are allowed, and are automatically published

Note: Once you turn off the comments, you can also turn it back on from here.

Step 6

Hit Save once you’re done

If you’ve enabled comments in your Shopify theme, the same can be enabled in Bloggle too (Available on the Shopify app store). You can do this while creating a new blog post layout. In the Settings tab, just toggle Show Comments and define the button style! Refer to this Help Doc for a step-by-step walkthrough.

Did You Know? With Bloggle, you can also insert cool elements like videos, related blog posts, sidebars, products, table of contents and more. This functionalities will make your blog look premium, beautiful, and easily readable.

Managing your customer comments section effectively can make a world of difference to your Shopify store. Here's how to do it right:

Moderation: The backbone of an effective comments section

It cannot be stressed enough that moderation is the linchpin of a well-managed comments section. Without effective moderation, you risk filling your comments section with spam, trolls, and unrelated content. On the other hand, a well-moderated comments section shines with thought leadership, insightful exchange of ideas, and healthy discussions. This is why knowing how to reply to comments on your Shopify blog is as critical as allowing comments in the first place.

Have a comments policy page: Includes CAPTCHAs, anti-spam clauses, and more

A comments policy sets the tone and expectations for your community. Make sure to include guidelines for what types of comments are allowed and how you'll handle spam. Implementing CAPTCHAs and other anti-spam measures like spam filters will help keep your comments section clean. A clear policy helps you work around the spammers and trollers. It also guides your community in adding comments and replies to your Shopify blog responsibly. Here are some tips to add a good comments policy page.

A comments policy brings order and sets the tone for the discussion. (Source)

Highlight top comments by pinning, sort by most useful

Your readers' time is valuable. Make it easier for them to find the most useful comments by pinning them to the top or sorting by relevance. This will encourage more people to read and contribute to the comments, knowing that their efforts might get highlighted. It marks a win-win for both the reader and the store owner looking to boost blog comments on Shopify.

Source

‍

Sorting comments by usefulness

Use notifications via email to update about replies to the comment thread

Engagement doesn't end once a new comment is posted. Sending notifications via email when someone replies to a comment can bring that user back to your site. It can foster more discussion and increase repeat visits. This is crucial for replies to blog comments as it keeps the conversation going. It, in turn, enhances engagement and community building.

Use analytics for keyword monitoring on social media to compare

Keyword monitoring isn't just for your blog posts; it's also useful for your comments section. Tools like Keyhole can help you track which topics and keywords are getting the most attention. This data can guide your future blog posts and even your product offerings. Plus, by comparing these insights with social media discussions, you can craft a more comprehensive SEO strategy that includes Shopify comment sections as well.

Tools like Keyhole help you understand the discussions around your brand easily.

By now you have realised that the comments section of your Shopify blog is a goldmine for SEO. It is a real chance at building a community around the brand and a valuable place to find the pain points of your customer. With the best practices in place, you are all set to make the optimal use of the comments section to elevate your brand and achieve success.

1. How to allow comments on Shopify blog?

Enabling comments on your Shopify blog is quite straightforward. You can either use Shopify's native settings or opt for third-party apps like Bloggle for more advanced features.

2. Do comments help SEO?

Absolutely, comments can significantly boost your SEO. They increase the word count on your page, introduce new keywords, and improve the dwell time, all of which are metrics that search engines consider for ranking.

3. How to reply to comments on Shopify blog?

You can reply directly through the Shopify admin panel. For more features like advanced moderation, third-party tools are available.

4. Is it possible to add Facebook comments?

Yes, you can add Facebook comments plugin either through Shopify’s app store or by embedding code into your blog's HTML/CSS.

5. What should be included in a Shopify comments policy?

A comments policy should include guidelines on what types of comments are allowed, how spam comments will be handled, and what the consequences are for breaking the rules. Implementing CAPTCHAs and other anti-spam measures is also recommended.

6. How do I enable discussion in Wordpress blog?

To enable discussion on your Wordpress blog, use a third-party comments plugin like Disqus.