Many bloggers recommend as one of the best ways to bring a large surge of traffic to your site is to write about a controversial subject. They say this because there are always at least two varying opinions on anything controversial. And people just have to read what you say about it, and if you capture their interest enough — they’ll want to voice their opinion on it.
Some people just like to participate in a good debate. Others want to cause trouble. Whichever it is, a good controversy gets people talking. And as a blogger, isn’t that what you want?
What Constitutes as Controversy
Anything you write is controversy. As long as you have added you opinions into the article you have written, you will have created a controversy. Looking through the archives here, I see very few articles here that wouldn’t be considered controversial.
Many people who ready articles today on the web don’t realize the actual controversy in them. Most people who write don’t realize they’re writing controversy either. Think back to the last article you wrote on your blog. Did you add an opinion to it? Chances are you did, and chances are someone disagreed with you.
Controversy is not always popular
Just because you write your opinion on something doesn’t make your controversy something that will draw thousands of hits and hundreds of comments to your blog. If that was true, we’d all be blogging superstars by now.
Some topics have more grounds for debate than others. Which sounds like more of an interesting topic to debate about?
Both are very interesting topics, but statistics prevail and say that topic #1 (SEO) is the better grounds for debate. It is a topic that more people talk about in this niche, and something that more people think about.
In association to blogging, which do you think about more? SEO or a large ego?
Learn by Example
A few days ago I stumbled upon a really great example of an article bringing in discussion with conflicting opinions. The discussions I saw in the article had everything you would normally expect to see in a controversial topic.
Two different sides debating two different views, detailed opinions, facts, agreement & disagreement, name calling and some very long comments. This was one of the most in-depth discussions I have ever seen on a blog, and it really made me think about the effects of having a controversial issue posted on your blog receiving such a response.
Luckily, I knew that blogger. Nicholas Cardot from Site Sketch 101 is a friend of mine, and he wrote about the Thesis Theme for WordPress. It is something that so many bloggers’ use and go crazy about (myself included), and he decided to write out against it. It’s something the Thesis community isn’t used to seeing.
So the response was huge. I talked to Nick about it on Skype, and he was kind enough to give me his impressions of how he thought the post went.
In a recent article at Site Sketch 101, I found myself in the midst of a torrent of heated debate. I wrote brief article challenging the supremacy of the Thesis WordPress theme. The article was born of an email response that I had put together for a very well-intentioned blogger who had developed a skin for Thesis.
My opinions being what they are, I thought that the concepts outlined in the email were worth sharing with my readers. I honestly had no intention of creating a debated issue out of it. That was probably a bit naive of me. The comments came pouring in. Some people called me ignorant. Others labeled me as uninformed.
As I look back over the article and effect that it had on my site, I don’t regret sharing it. I believe that we should be able to challenge the way that people think. We should be allowed to post articles that go against the status quo and we should be able to do so without name calling.
I don’t believe in writing controversial topics just to be controversial; just to get attention. I do believe in standing up for your beliefs and in sharing your opinions and when that means being controversial then don’t back down.
Is it Worth it?
A lot of things can happen if a debate on your blog escalates out of control. Would you say the discussions over at Nick’s blog got too hectic? A few people seemed to have really lashed out at his ideas and defenses in the comments section, and those sort of things can really get to some bloggers.
41 Discussions
For traffic drive, it is so worthy. I even retweet that nick article because the debate in commenting form — not because the article it self.
Dana @ Blogging Tips Blog´s last blog ..The Simple Blogging Tips: Be Personal, Be Unique, Be Different, Be Success
The debate in there was pretty crazy wan’t it? Did you take part in the conversation at all?
Wow! Great post Alex!
Also remember being part of the comment, I initially didn’t wanted to talk but a guy provoked me to talk by saying SEO is more important than desing.
Back to the point. You are absolutely (and I mean absolutely) right. Not every controversial post brings about traffic, expressing your mind is controversy because not everybody will agree with you.
Thanks a lot for the great post,
-Onibalusi
Thanks Oni.
I saw a few of your comments in there. So, did you just develop a disinterest in Thesis, or did you like the theme you have more than you did Thesis?
Hi Alex,
If you notice my new theme, you will notice the welcome screen. That is why I love the new theme, I can focus it towards what I want.
I was so happy when I won your contest, to have thesis and blogussion. Since I have seen do more and code less on thesis website, I thought I will be able to do a lot of customizations. You will have seen my guest posts everywhere? I wrote over 40 last month and over 120 this year which means I am very busy, I am not presently ready to learn coding.
Since my new theme helps me focus more on my mailing list (sending tens of visitors to my squeeze page daily), I decided it is the best theme for me (presently).
Also, thesis does not have the SEO people claim it has, I couldn’t see a difference in it and my former theme and I believe SEO is mostly about backlinks.
Thanks a lot,
-Onibalusi
This is definitely one way of attracting attention to my blog I’ve avoided. I don’t want a whole load of trolls coming and leaving mean comments. I try to keep my writing positive and uplifting and have seen the benefits – it attracts like-minded upbeat people and although it generates plenty of healthy discussion it stays friendly.
Annabel Candy, Get In the Hot Spot´s last blog ..51 Steps to Launching a Hot Blog
Geez, you know, I probably should feel the same way but I don’t.
I actually love debating people even if I have to step on a few toes. Name calling is another thing but if the exchanges target the argument itself rather than the arguers, I am all for them.
And if a whole load of trolls should try to trample my blog with obnoxious comments, there is always the spam button
.
I agree with both of you. It’s hard to publish controversial content if you’re a nonconfrontational person. However, it’s important to weigh the risks and benefits…..one huge benefit is definitely traffic.
I’ve always thought it was funny when people resorted to name calling and childish things like that, but it’s just how some people are I guess.
I do want to have a good debate here though. We’ve had some in the past, but I’m itching for another good one.
I guess we’ll see more when the Blogussion forum comes around full blast!
I think more people with valid opinions will come around than trolls. But of course that depends on the type of community you have.
So do you generally not write controversy on your blog? I definitely agree, a positive writing style has HUGE benefits. But have you ever tried writing a little more dirt?
I have to agree with this. Some of my tpics are getting more hits athan my other topics.
paul | entertainment tonight´s last blog ..Kitchen Battles on QTV 11
So, what are some of the topics that do better? Do you write more controversial posts as a result?
Alex,
This is my first time responding on Blogussion. Let me first say that your work here is moving. Great job not only on the design, but also the content.
As for the discussion today:
I believe that even though controversial issues create the most buzz (ex: 8 years olds at a dance competition), intentional controversy should be frowned upon. When someone writes simply to ignite anger or stir up a fight, negative energy consumes not only themselves, but also those who participate in the debate.
That being said, I do believe that opinions matter and we should not be afraid of sharing ours. In this case it is obvious that Nicholas Cardot had no intentions of sparking a riot of hate comments; therefore, although I disagree with the author, I am inspired by his willingness to break away from the mold. I also notices that his responses were always formal and polite (unlike some of the others) and that says a lot about his character.
- Justin
Justin, I sure do appreciate your observations here. I genuinely believe that we should be mature enough as writers, as bloggers, and as courteous fellow humans to be able to share our disagreements with passion and gusto and still be able to maintain our friendships.
The best example of this is my article about Thesis. I hate Thesis, yet look at the amazing work that Alex has done here with that same theme. We are both passionate about our opinions and even though we oppose each other’s view of this, we’re both great friends…and we’ll remain great friends.
There are some things that we may need to separate from someone based on their beliefs…like if someone thinks that cheating on their spouse is alright I’m going to separate and not be friends with that person (unless they change their mind and make it right) but most things in life are not the type of issue that should compel us to hate one another for carrying a different view.
What theme do you use? Who cares? Let’s discuss it, have fun and let’s be friends even if we disagree.
Again, I appreciate you, Justin. Thank you.
Yes, I would also leave a friend if they choose to do something that was morally wrong (like cheat, kill, etc.).
As for the thesis discussion (or any discussion), a disagreement should not lead ‘fighting’. I like the example of you and Alex. I too am a thesis user, and love the theme. Therefore, I disagree with you, too.
Looking forward to more of both your and Alex’s posts.
- Justin ?
Thanks for dropping by Justin! Appreciate the kind words.
I agree with you 100% on intended controversy, it’s not right. You can’t really form any genuine opinions by making things up and over-sensationalizing a story.
That’s why Nick’s post did so well, as you mentioned: he didn’t mean to spark all of the negative reactions. Of course not everyone disagreed, but there were those who still overreacted.
Hope to see you around more Justin.
Alex,
You will see me around more. Although I have always read blogs, I only recently decided to start joining the conversations. I figure since I do it offline, why not online?!
- Justin ?
What is interesting is how there could be some many opinions on whether the author of a blog tried to make something controversial or not. This is why pointing out your voice and building a community that understands you is important.
So I knew Nick of Site Sketch 101, would not intend on starting a controversy. Sure one might be started from a good debate, but I feel if you have intentions of just having a good debate based on your true feelings about a certain topic, we should all not be afraid of expressing them and now that there is a possibility of their being a “controversy”. But, we need to not have those intentions. Our intentions need to only be to voice our true honest opinion and ask for everyone’s feedback.
It’s time to be respecting of each other’s comment whether you disagree or not with it.
Going back to my first point. I do feel that if you create a solid community that knows your voice no major issues will arise from when you try to express your real opinion on a topic that either goes against the norm or already tends to be heated.
Derek Jensen´s last blog ..NYU Students Going After Their Vision. You?
Thanks for share.
David´s last blog ..Maria Sharapova Has Balls in Her Pants
Hey Alex,
This is definitely an awesome idea to increase traffic. And that post got 99 comments that’s really amazing !!
Thanks for sharing this great post.
Regards,
Dev
Definitely! 99 comments is a lot. He has 100 as I’m writing this comment.
What’s the most commented post on your blog?
99 comments is great, but it doesn’t mean crap for conversion and ROI. Those people likely aren’t going to be customers, which is why I’m wary of that as a tactic.
However, Nick’s post was just him stating a belief, which is great. I just wouldn’t count on the traffic to stick.
Nathan Hangen – Digital Emperor´s last blog ..Podcast: How I Build My Empire
And what a lovely discussion that was. I’m pretty happy that Nicholas chose to stick with his own feelings rather than endorse a product that he dislikes. Alex, you can endorse Thesis because you are so happy with it that you use it on your blog and are very familiar with it; some bloggers don’t even use thesis yet endorse it to earn from commissions.
I think starting a controversy, no matter how ugly it can get, is worth it.
“There is no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary”
- Brendan Behan
I’m sure Nicholas understands that.
That’s a terrific quote. I honestly don’t chase controversy though. It’s certainly not my intention to drive a wedge between people based on our varying opinions. On the other hand, I’m not afraid to stand up and be heard speaking out for what I believe in.
Nicholas Cardot´s last blog ..Do You Know How to Convince Your Readers?
It’s still going. lol
A few got little out of control; some quite childish comments; overall though, I think it is an excellent example of controversy that works.
Dennis Edell | Direct Sales Marketing´s last blog ..Web Income Experiments DotCom Wins Hands-Down!
I agree with you, Dennis. Some of it was very childish and I noticed that several people actually calmed down as the conversation went along and one or two people even apologized for their name calling. As I look back, I think that I may have come across too strong in the article but I worked extra hard throughout the comments to bring a strong sense of civility and courtesy to the conversation and I really think that it helped the discussion to move forward.
I don’t think you were too hard at all. I just went back and went through it, everything seemed reasonable to me.
It’s like me writing a post saying how much I love Thesis. You used the word “hate,” I’d say “love” a lot.
People just don’t like hearing their own love being bashed I guess it was.
That’s a really good point. I hadn’t really thought of it like that. Thank you, Alex.
Absolutely Nick. I’ve noticed from my first read that you have excellent PC (political correctness) skills…..even though some might call that an insult. LOL
Alex is spot-on. You (general “you”) attack someones child and you best look over your shoulder.
Dennis Edell | Direct Sales Marketing´s last blog ..Oops I Lied-HAHA
As a blogger you stand infront of a crowd so if you are not ready for debates just don’t blog.
Controversial posts as the one at site sketch are what it really is about. That is how you will build longtime readers. They invest a lot into your blog with the comment and the emotions attached to their opinion.
People will cool off after such a debate pretty quickly and will definately come back for the new content and opinions you publish.
This is just what you get when attack long held beliefs
Amen to that brotha.
I do agree with Nicholas that you shouldn’t go chasing after controversy just as you would not look for points of disagreement when having a casual conversation with someone; but rather, state your mind and controversy is sure to follow
.
I saw at least one person in the discussion over at Nick’s blog that I’m pretty sure won’t cool down, or ever visit his site again (unless there were apologies made)! I mean this guy was throwing an absolute hissy-fit in there.
But with the exception of that guy, I think there is truth to what you say. People will get mad, and they’ll get over it. Then life continues on.
Alex, I just want to say that I disagree with you and I think that you’re ignorant for writing this article.
Of course, I’m just kidding. On a more serious note, I really appreciate you putting this article together. I think that you summed up the concepts of controversial blog posting absolutely perfectly. I’m thankful for you and I wish you and this amazing website many years of success!
I tried not to disappoint, I really did! Maybe next time.
But I thought I really needed to do something like this here. I was so amazed by all the discussion that was sparked over there! Really appreciate your own input, in the article as well as the comments here. Definitely gave me way more than what I asked for initially (a one paragraph response, haha).
Back at you man, I know SiteSketch has a bright future as well (still anxious to see how your community responds to my guest post).
Looks like I am already late for a comment.
Anyways, much of what I can say has already been said so I will say what’s not already said (yea, I am good with this).
We Thesis lovers are great enemies of thesis. We love it so much that we wouldn’t demand more. We can’t think of more. It’s unstaisfied people like Nicholas who will cause it to expand.
Thanks for your awesome contribution, Nicholas. And thanks for bringing this up (again) Alex (I’ve always loved your different takes on things).
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While some of us blog for different reasons, we all use it as a medium to convey our information and most of us also show our opinion on the different topics in our niches. I think that opinion posts, whether completely innocent, like Nicholas’ or used to be controversial, are important as they show off who we are as bloggers and can portray to our readers that we are honest too.
Jasmine Henry from System Fail News´s last blog ..Call of Duty : Black Ops Teaser Trailer , I Was Right!
Wow, the title just makes you think. My blog can’t really be controversial…its about fishing haha.
The Saltwater Report´s last blog ..Professor Examines Oil Spill With New Prediction
It totally depends on your. Being controversial has its plus and minus points. What you can do as an author is to stick to your opinion and be open to what people say. With that technique you will ensure there is a healthy debate. But it takes only one person to spoil it, so it is a bit risky.
I personally feel that thesis is for designers and the ones who have a little bit of coding experience. For total noobs, a premium theme is better than thesis.
Gautam Hans´s last blog ..Why Bloggers should be Entrepreneurs?
I believe that adding controversy in our posts doesn’t hurt. We should be ready though to handle whatever comments and responses we would get from our readers.
Julius´s last blog ..Can Blind People See?
I think that a good controversial topic is a necessity for a good blogger. I have the number one site for ‘Judo Book Reviews’, and everywhere I go people comment on my ‘Osotogari’ article. (Obviously, this is meaningless to most people reading this). But I took a completely controversial stance, and provided the evidence for it, and surprisingly, I’ve ended up with a page one listing for that article.
Controversial posts will put you ahead of the pack, and make you memorable… how many here recognize “Grizz” for example? When it comes to IM, “Grizz” upsets everyone, and gets a load of traffic for his trouble.
On the other hand, if you post something controversial *JUST* to be obnoxious, I doubt if it would work. That’s my opinion, anyway…
Ben Holmes´s last blog ..Laptop Features – Don’t Make A Mistake!
controversy can swing in 2 direction: for or against you..i do not really believe in controversy,i believe (like Nick )if you have an opinion about something(even if it is controversial and against popular believe) share it.
some people will love you for it ,some people will hate you for it..it is the price to pay..but that should not scare you from saying…
mk akan´s last blog ..Tools and Websites for Getting Blog Post Ideas
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