Okay, here's the thing: we all do it. This insane system that Google has devised for deciding who gets to be on the front page for a particular search term has made everyone into "link" thieves. We are constantly looking for someplace to put a link back to our website so that we mught improve our search ranking.
One of the most popular ways to get links is to comment on other photographer's blogs. It's easy: you find a blog that talks about wedding photography and you leave a comment on one of the posts. How can you tell when it's another photographer who is trying to ride your content for a link? Easy... everyone else signs their name "Booray Perry"..... the link farmer signs his name "Wedding Photographer Tampa." You see, blogger let's you sign whatever you want as your name and they let you make it a link! So, "Wedding Photographer Tampa" becomes a link to the photographer's website, which helps with Google.
Everyone does it. I get it. I've done it too and I always feel a little dirty afterward. But here's the difference between me and everyone else who does it to my blog: I leave a real comment. I read the post, I think of something creative to say or a question to ask. I know that the other photographer will know what I am doing but if the comment is nice enough (or engaging enough) he might let it stay.
No one does this when the spam my blog.
Do you really think that you can post a comment that contains "Detroit Wedding Photographer" as a name and "Wedding Photographer" in the body three times and I won't delete it? REALLY?!
Here's the other thing that gets me: The photographers who comment spam me don't have blogs themselves. Before I delete an obvious spammer, I check to see if they have a blog. If they do, I might consider leaving their obvious link-building comment on my blog in return for putting one of my own on theirs. They never have a blog! Quid Pro Quo my brother!
So, if you are reading this and thinking of commenting, know that I will delete you if you leave an obvious link spam, If you leave a comment that looks like you actually read the post, and you have a blog of your own that I can link from, that's a different story.
Good luck!
