Tag clouds and leaking link juice

[ahw]

We have a popular blog, but SEOmoz analytics is telling us that theblog  homepage has greater than 100 links and this needs to be addressed.

One very big source of links on the blog homepage is the tag cloud. Can tag clouds be a source of link juice dilution?

If so, is should we consider either removing the tag cloud altogether (not essential to the site) or consider doing no-follows?

Thanks.

[ahw]

thank you. this was very helpful.

[DWJames]

You could add a google analytics event tracking code to the links in the tag cloud. Then you'll soon see if it's being used.

[ahw]

Doug...

I don't know if users really use it. I suspect not  and I think our preference would be to have users use the category links to nav.

How can/would I know if our users use the tag cloud links on the blog page?

[ahw]

Thank you. I understand what you're saying.

[DougRoberts]

Do you visitors actually use it? If they don't then I'd get rid of them without hesitation. IF they do, then I'd think about why, and what I could do to improve my navigation/architecture to help people find what they want... and then get rid of the tag cloud.

Instead of spraying the lawn, water the plants you really care about! Make sure you have links to your most important, most popular/useful content.

[AdamThompson]

Removing the tag cloud links from the homepage will not preserve more link juice on/for the homepage.

Removing the tag cloud links from the homepage will preserve more link juice to be passed on to other pages that the homepage links to.

[ahw]

Thanks Adam...

So given that there are almost 50 tag clouds linking off the blog homepage, removing the tag cloud sounds appropriate , in order to preserve the link juice for the blog homepage. Right?

[AdamThompson]

Yes, a tag cloud with a bunch of links will dilute the link juice flowing to your other links. Adding nofollow to the tag cloud links will not help.