Though it's not as hot a platform as Tumblr and Wordpress, Google's (News - Alert) Blogger platform has not vanished into obscurity – but if it has, Google is looking to fiercely pull it back into relevance.

Google has refreshed the blogging platform with some basic updates to make it easier for people to keep up with their fans and critics – and to keep a more integrated grasp on their Google presence.

With these enhancements, Google+ comments are now integrated into Blogger blogs, providing what Google terms “a number of important benefits.”

Principal engineer Yonatan Zunger acknowledges how critical reader comments are to a blogger, and to his/her followers.

“Reading and responding to comments can be one of the most rewarding aspects of blogging,” Zunger wrote in a blog post. “Not only do they help [bloggers] connect with [their] readers, they can also inspire later blog entries.”

Zunger goes on to point out that there's a challenge in following all conversations around a blog. By integrating Google + comments into Blogger comments, it’s nearly a non-issue.

“This way you can engage with more of your readers, all in one place,” Zunger said.

Comment threads on blog posts now incorporate activity from direct visitors, as well as those chatting about users' content on Google+.

Blog readers can opt to comment publicly on a blog or privately – in which only those within their Google+ circles can view the remarks.

Bloggers and readers will only see the comments they have permission to see. The idea, Google says on its Blogger buzz blog, is that giving people these kinds of controls encourages more meaningful sharing—and can lead to more blog traffic.

To enable the new feature, users can check the “Use Google+ Comments” tab in the Blogger Dashboard (older comments will also appear in the new widget).