Guess what happened to that post. If you simply add a comment so you can insert a link, blog and forum moderators will reject you quickly, and you'll gain a reputation as a spammer. But one person simply inserted three links to a site that sells shoes. For instance, I wrote a post on Active Rain about a 4th of July memory. The experts say to comment but add something to the conversation. But just a string of links no way were they staying.

Had he instead made a comment about the 4th of July and then inserted his URL beneath his signature, I would have left it there. From the comments I find on my blogs, I'd say that a whole lot of people are following that advice who didn't listen to the whole story before they started.

SEO experts tell us that it's a good idea to comment on blogs and forums to gain links back to our websites and to possibly attract actual visitors. Many people commented on my story or shared a memory of their own which is as it should be.

I might even have left it if he'd told a story about why we should all have red, white, and blue shoes to wear on the 4th.