What are Trackbacks and Why Use Them?

Because of the interactive and collegial nature of blogging, we do want to know who is saying what about something we posted or who linked our thoughts on their blog.  That’s why you should use a trackback rather than just a hyperlink.  You can put a widget on your page to find out where people at your site came from (that is which search term or location they started from) and also their country of origin.  There is a downside to trackbacks though, as they can become a magnet for spammers who want free attention to their sites.  You have the option to use the trackback feature or cancel it, just as you would with comments.