Would you buy blog comments?
Darren Rowse posted an article today about a new site called Buy Blog Comments. The site sells 100 comments for $19.99, 500 comments for $99.99 and 1000 comments for $199.99. They promise that all comments will be relevant to the discussion so they will not appear as spam however I fail to see the effort someone is going to put into commentating at 20 cents a comment. You’d make more money collecting cans from the street! 
I would strongly discourage readers from using a service like this. Spamming your blog across the web is not going to bring you targeted traffic. A really good discussion is currently going on in Darren’s Post of the pro’s and con’s of such a service.
Would you ever pay to use a service like this? If the answer is yes, I would love to know why 
Robbert | July 9th, 2007 at 10:01 am #
The only reason I could think of is the fact that your blog looks “alive”. The high level of comments that your blog will receive, will encourage other people to respond.
And next to that, when those “responders” will write legitimate comments, it will be good for your blog. Extra content => a higher chance that people will find your blog through long-tail keywords.
But I won’t use this service. I don’t like fake comments.
Jamie Harrop | July 9th, 2007 at 10:01 am #
Jon, the guy who created this site, tends to be known for his wacky and less than ethical business ideas and tactics.
Jon doesn’t seem to let ethics get in his way. If nothing else, you have to admire the guy for not giving a crap and just going ahead with things.
To be honest, I think this was just one big (or small) stunt from Jon to promote his network of sites. I’m quite sure he doesn’t care whether the actual site brings in payments for comments or not. The fact that his network got a front row seat at ProBlogger is enough for Jon. If he receives some orders, then all the better for him.
Kevin | July 9th, 2007 at 10:19 am #
I disagree that being unethical and not giving a crap is something to be admired. We could all sell the email addresses of the commentators on our blogs to a big spam company. Would we be admired for it?
Jonathan Street | July 9th, 2007 at 10:27 am #
Robbert, the comments are on blogs other than your own with links pointing to your domain.
The bots that are out there at the moment are such a joke that with even a little bit of effort you could produce something so much better that gets past the spam filters designed so far. I really don’t see the point yet of paying a real person to generate spam comments.
Also I think my calculator is broken. Usually the more you buy the cheaper things get. As far as I can see you pay the same price whether you buy 100 comments or 1000. What’s the point in having three packages?
Ram | July 9th, 2007 at 11:05 am #
I agree with Jamie on the few points. Now this website has got tons of traffic for free. They are linked from Problogger, they are linked from Blogging Tips(Your blog) and who knows there might be other blogs too. So he has got a review worth more than $2500 though it is a negative one. He will get some great traffic and he can see his alexa rank getting higher and the lines in alexa graph getting to the peak. He will smiling with visitors flowing to his site like anything. Good Marketing “Buy Blog Comments”
Matthew | July 9th, 2007 at 12:37 pm #
if you did it right, you could buy reviews with that 100$ and get comments from the reviews lol
Blend | July 9th, 2007 at 12:56 pm #
I will buy. I think. If this way I can earn money and get traffic for my blog. Why not give a try.
Kevin | July 9th, 2007 at 1:04 pm #
Ram - I think you are missing the point. If the guys traffic from problogger and bloggingtips then so be it. The point is, this service is effectively a spam site.
Also, I really think you shouldn’t pay attention to Alexa. My disussion forums gets more than 3 times the traffic as Blogging Tips and according to Alexa, BloggingTips gets more than 6 times the traffic that gets. Its completely unreliable, stats can be manipulated too easily :):)
Ram | July 9th, 2007 at 1:19 pm #
Kevin, I agree that Alexa is not reliable stats. But still, they are also considered in few paid to blog things. Yeah I just said that though you are writing negative about it, some people might get interested and they might join. Surely this is a way to get backlinks and traffic.
I have seen Jon’s name in many great blogs like Jane May’s blog and Matt Coddington’s blog. I never thought this guy would do such a thing.
Ram | July 9th, 2007 at 1:22 pm #
Matthew, I don’t know whether you understood it wrong or I understood what you have written wrong. They won’t comment on our blog for money. They will comment on other blogs which will get a link back to your blog. This will end up spammy.
Robbert | July 9th, 2007 at 1:36 pm #
Jonathan, I messed up I see. Thanks for mentioning it.
In this case I wouldn’t buy those comments at all. Because of the fact you don’t know what the comments will look like.
Kevin | July 9th, 2007 at 1:40 pm #
Darren Rowse wrote a good reply to his post about it when he said
‘At $19.99 for 100 posts you
cmanlong | July 9th, 2007 at 1:43 pm #
I wouldn’t purchase this service and don’t really see the need for it. I subscribe to about 25 feeds of the blogs I like the most and read them and when appropriate actively participate through comments and the like. Now I also when permissable provide a link back to my site(I know my author name is already a link) so that I can specify my anchor text. I don’t do this as spam it is just my signature sign-off for my blog and also my comments.
later all and have a profitable productive blogging day
Tay | July 9th, 2007 at 5:02 pm #
No, I definitely think that this is just like spam.
Plus, how would it even be possible to make a profit from doing this? You say they claim that each comment will be relevant, but they have to read the whole post and then comment. It will take a lot of time and won’t be worth the money on either side.
Lincoln | July 9th, 2007 at 7:29 pm #
For that kind of money I’ll buy a mail order bride. Comments can’t keep me warm at night.
cooper | July 9th, 2007 at 9:57 pm #
No, nor would I usually read blogs with add plastered all over them but some people will.
Heck, if someone wants to pay me I’ll comment on their blogs.
With all the spammers, having had blogs for five minutes and begging for link exchanges, the desperation grows. This is the logical next step for all those who want to sit home and make money from their blogs without having anything worth selling.
Come to think of it I may just have to go start my blog commenting agency now.
cooliojones | July 9th, 2007 at 10:10 pm #
HECK NO I wouldn’t ‘buy’ a comment! All of mine are original and thought out! It would take away from the coolio charm to sellout like that! You’re right, I think it’s really just a publicity stunt.
CatherineL | July 10th, 2007 at 4:56 am #
I spend ages each day deleting spammy comments so I definitely wouldn’t pay for more.
GoddessCarlie | July 10th, 2007 at 5:58 am #
I don’t think that I would do this. I would rather make spammy comments myself then put my blog’s reputation into someone else’s hands.
Dave Starr --- ROI Guy | July 10th, 2007 at 7:26 am #
Actually I think this points up the uselessness of a lot of blog comments. Funny for me to say because I am a frequent commentor on some blogs that I like.
However, Steve Pavlina, one of the really rich bloggers turned off his comments ages ago, and in fact has stated that leaving comments on as long as he did was his biggest blogging mistake.
I just recently turned them of on one of my niche blogs and note all page view and ad-rev numbers are up … and I don’t have to hand massage what Akismet misses.
The funny thing is the Web has a short memory. Mnay currently in the blogging game are too young to remember back when dial-up community BBS’s (Bulletin Board Systems) were ‘what there was”, before the ‘Net was even open to the public. Many BBS’s greatly resembled blogs of today and just like today they were a series of posts or entries followed by a string of asynchronous comments, some on topic, some wildly off-base.
I don’t know enough to advise anyone, but there are times I seriously question the wisdom of blog comments to begin with ….
Michael | July 10th, 2007 at 10:15 pm #
I agree with you on this how much benefit could they have. Seems like a waste of time.
Iantrepreneur | July 11th, 2007 at 9:52 am #
yes discourage all blog authors as this will definitely kill the authors brand online
nazmieski | July 12th, 2007 at 6:36 am #
It just too expensive to get 100 comments for $19.90…..and i think the idea is a bit ridiculous. It will make your blog being hypocrite for having fake comments. I’d rather ask my friend to make comments on my blog. hehehe….
More Merchant | July 31st, 2007 at 12:30 pm #
I don’t know anyone that would buy comments.
Just buy a review at least you are getting something real most times.