Comments on an information site are an important element of SEO promotion. With their help, interaction between visitors takes place and ranking in search engines improves.

You can use third-party services to work with comments – they simplify moderation and are convenient for users. In this article, we will figure out which comment service to choose for the site in 2022.

What are good comment services?

Let’s say we want to enable commenting on our WordPress site. To do this, you can use standard utilities. Yes, this method is quite fast, but the effect from it will not be the same at all. This method involves starting commenting, which greatly complicates user interaction.

Take a look at the image below – it’s a discussion form where you don’t just leave a comment, you also have to manually enter your name and email address. The name is fine, but mail is already a “difficult” action for users, which they will most likely skip.

Everything is easier with services. For example, Disqus or Cackle allow you to log in only once, and the login will automatically be performed on all sites that have these commenting tools.

But that’s not all, here are a few points that play in favor of the services:

• Moderation of comments. Many services allow you to configure moderation, for example, you can make it so that new comments are not published if they contain links or obscene language.
• Audience engagement. With the help of commenting services, you can connect messages that will be received by users participating in the discussion. Additionally, you can add likes and the ability to write personal messages to other users.
• Saving comments. By connecting the commenting tool, you will save disk space and reduce the load on the server. This is due to the fact that third-party services store all data on their servers.
• Audience coverage. The audience will grow due to the fact that users can share their comments on social networks.
• Additional features. In the comment, you can enter not only text, but also add graphic content. If necessary, it can be conveniently edited.

Let’s summarize: with services for commenting, the user will not have to go through authorization every time, and his interaction with the resource will become easier – this is facilitated by messages, the ability to edit, evaluate comments and correspond with other users.

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How do comments affect SEO?

I already mentioned above that comments have a good effect on search engine rankings. Google, for example, has a Pandora algorithm that assigns dynamic status to similar pages. At the same time, the comments themselves improve the behavioral factors of the site, which in turn affects its ranking.

There is one important note: comments will be indexed only if they are specified in the HTML code of the page. To organize this on any popular CMS, it is enough to connect a plugin from the official store. In the case of a self-writing engine, this can be sold through an API.

Top 10 services for comments

In this section, we will look at both paid and free services that will be suitable for your project.

Cackle

The first service on our list is Cackle. This is a tool from Russian developers that allows you to implement not only commenting, but also reviews, surveys and even an online consultant.

As such, there is no such profile in Cackle, but in the system settings, the user can enable the maintenance of a commenting history, which will not be public.

features:

• you can log in through many services, including VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, and even Yandex;
• there is a rating that will be added to the site snippet in Google search;
• the comment system is adapted to all sizes of devices – from smartphones to monitors;
• analytics of comments, users, likes, publication of posts, full report and log of work of moderators;
• all comments are stored in the server database;
• The comments widget supports the Schema.org micro-markup of rating and comments, thanks to which content is indexed faster.

Cost: 700 rubles per month for 1 site

Official page: Cackle

Disqus

Disqus is one of the most popular services for creating comments on the site. It is used by more than 50 million people every month. All this is due to the fact that the tool includes parts of a social network and a forum. It allows you to leave comments not only on the site page, but also outside of it. For example, if there is any discussion, it is also hosted on Disqus.

features:

• authorization through Facebook, Twitter and Google;
• the ability to create your account on Disqus;
• notification of new comments;
• users can edit discussions, as well as share them on social networks and put likes;
• monetization of the resource using advertising;
• the ability to subscribe to interesting commentators or individual branches.

Cost: from $12 per month

Official page: Disqus

Tolstoy

Tolstoy is another Russian-language resource that offers to create a full-fledged community. A distinctive feature from competitors is that the service has gamification and a smart message system. Each commenter has a rating, which is calculated when other users like or dislike.

A smart message system is push, mail, receiving messages in the widget itself. Everything works like a social network – in principle, this widget aims to make comments in this format.

features:

• authorization through all popular social networks;
• moderation and updates in real time – you can edit through admin, widget and even Telegram;
• a gamification module to attract users, which can be modernized for their tasks;
• mini-widgets that show the latest comments on the site, discussed topics, top rated comments and user profile.
• personalized assessments;
• extended user profile.

Cost: There is a free trial period of 14 days, after which you can continue to use the service for free, but without the possibility of moderation. Tariffs start from 700 rubles per month

Official page: Tolstoy

Commenton

Commenton is not a service for creating comments, but a simple script written in PHP. Unlike standard CMS methods, this script allows you to log in through social networks, moderate messages, and has a simple and clear admin. The commenting system itself can be connected via PHP or JavaScript.

The cost of such a script is only 1000 rubles, so this option can be safely called budget. You don’t need to pay monthly for the service – just get the key and install the script on the site. Yes, professional services have a wide range of functionality, but Commenton also has a lot to love.

features:

• the possibility of authorization through popular social networks;
• messages about replies, likes and comments;
• creation of moderators;
• any nesting of answers;
• anti-flood system;
• output of recent comments.

Cost: 1000 rubles

Official page: Commenton

IntenseDebate

Another free commenting system called IntenseDebate. It was developed by the Automattic Inc corporation, which has one of the main projects – the WordPress.com website hosting service, so IntenseDebate is easily integrated with the WordPress CMS.

features:

• e-mail notification;
• registration through social networks;
• saving comments in .xml format;
• message filtering.

Cost: free

Official page: Intensedebate

HyperComments

HyperComments is a simple system for commenting on the site. It is divided into several areas, for each of which you can install a separate widget. You can log in through social networks, there is a quote that allows you to share comments with other users. And one of the most important functions is self-learning antispam.

features:

• availability of two discussion branches for ordinary users and editors;
• viewing the number of simultaneous readers as real time;
• by default, users are not notified of the appearance of new comments, which reduces audience engagement;
• installation by code or using a plugin for CMS.

Cost: There is a 14-day trial period, and rates start at $11 per month or $24 per year

Official page: HyperComments

AnyComment

AnyComment is a free widget suitable for any project. It has ratings, moderation and comments from social networks. You can synchronize with VKontakte, Facebook, Twitter, Odnoklassniki and other social networks.

features:

• all comments are stored in your own database;
• flexible customization of the design theme;
• the ability to download files with the setting of file extensions and download restrictions;
• email notification about a new comment;
• the ability to insert URL links in comments;
• designation of a group of users who are authorized through a social network.

Cost: free of charge, there are tariffs from 810 rubles

Official page: AnyComment

SigComments

SigComments is a free commenting system. It allows you to create a modernized and adaptive widget with a “call for attention” function – a message from the site moderator about comments according to certain criteria. The design looks quite outdated, but for such availability, it is not worth waiting any longer.

features:

• completely free functionality;
• convenient management of moderation;
• ratings for snippets;
• any nesting of answers;
• output of recent comments.

Cost: free

Official page: SigComments

VKComments

VKComments is a full-fledged widget from the well-known social network VKontakte. It can be installed on a site where users can leave reviews if they are authorized in VK. You can implement the widget through code and a plugin for CMS.

features:

• the VK user can immediately comment on the website material on his own behalf;
• entries are automatically published on the wall in the commenter’s account;
• the widget allows you to view replies to comments;
• you can attach media files;
• spam protection.

Cost: free

Official page: VKComments

Social Login

Social Login is a service for sites created by CMS WordPress. It adds a simple commenting form where you can log in with your Google, Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn account.

features:

• authorization through popular social networks;
• real-time moderation and updates;
• extended user profile;
• the possibility of sending email messages.

Cost: free

Official page: Social Login

Conclusions

Comment services for the site allow to improve user interaction with the information portal. With their help, he can add new comments, respond to other people’s comments, and also receive a rating for this. In most cases, authorization takes place through popular social networks, and the anti-flood system is responsible for spam.

For the site administration, the above tools are also useful – they provide convenient moderation and allow easy contact with the audience. As a result, search traffic increases and additional user engagement appears.