Blogging is now an integral tool for Web promotions, Search engine ranking, keeping visitors engaged through meaningful content or updates. To engage users or visitors having comment box in your blog is good. You also get feedback about your information, services, and products. It can always be a valuable interactive thread.  Majority bloggers want more and more comments for SEO purposes and look for ways to boost comments (there may only be one in hundred readers to leave comment). But then there are visitors looking for just spaces to promote their own products, there are spammers and some negative remarkers. Therefore, it is important to be a moderator if you are a blogger. Which comments should you disapprove?

• Spam, obscene or absolutely irrelevant remarks are generally obviously a No. Spam can be controlled through Captcha but then you might be creating a gatekeeper for free use of commenter. Better check the comments at your level.
• Blatant advertising with promotional URLs are a big No
• Some people disapprove negative remarks. And they should if they are nasty. However, a constructive feedback that shows you ways to improve should be welcomed. Something that you take with a pinch of salt can be moderated.
• Competition is a No. But there may be some synergy or symbiotic relationship in some services or products and such comments could be conducive for mutual growth. You should be careful that such threads should not make your visitor abandon your site.
• There are some smart advertisers, who would really get into superlatives raving about your blog and leaving their website URLs. This is well taken by some bloggers, as anything positive is welcome. And it may help the rank go higher. It is  actually quite upto you, if you want to keep it more relevant and interesting for your readers, you would rather put the filter.
• There are forums or social media pages (eg. FB) where you can auto-check the entries with URLs. Such entries are not eligible for submission. Some of the blogs facilitate it through plug-ins. But some bloggers would just return the favor by leaving comments on the link they just got!

adv@cbm