Blog Posts: 1 link per 125 words?
-
I've seen this "1 link per 125 words" for blog posts suggestion pop up a variety of places. I wanted to know if that's "correct" or a best practice? In my posts, I generally write between 800 to 1200 words with about 4 to 6 links in the body of the post. However, (and this may be a problem) I add about 13 links in my closing paragraph, "if you have any legal questions, etc etc, click here for your "Tampa personal injury attorney, Clearwater Personal Injury Attorney, etc etc for all the areas we practice in related to that blog post."
Should I stop doing that? Does that come off as spammy? (The blog is hosted on our site, if that matters for this question at all).
Thanks,
Ruben
-
If it is natural, and all about UX, then there is nothing to worry about, in my opinion. Sounds like you are doing a great job!
-
I think people misinterpreted my question. I didn't "start boiling articles down to numbers," I just posted what happens to be the averages for my posts. When I write them, most come out to about 800-1200 to answer the question, and I end up citing about 4 to 5 sources. When I saw a few "1 link/125 word" suggestions, I wanted to see if there was any validity to that and if the numbers that I naturally produce could be a problem...other than the footer links, of course. I now see why that's a problem.
-
I get why I shouldn't use the footer links anymore, but I don't understand the comment 'sounds like a great way to get a Penguin attack." For my posts, it takes about 800 to 1200 words to answer the topic, and I usually end up citing/linking to 4 outside sources. I don't plan on this framework, but that's basically the average.
Are you saying the posts have too short a word count or there are too many links? Yes, I do understand I should be focusing on content and ux first and foremost, but since you said that in relation to the number I gave, I was wondering if that triggered some red flag I need to know about.
Thank you for your advise and input. I appreciate it very much.
Ruben
-
Doug says... "Ignore the links".... I agree....
If this is an "on site" blog you should be focused on the message. You should be blogging to educate your readers or present your point-of-view. Link to another page on your site only when needed or when you want to let the reader know that you offer a service (and this should be limited to genuinely relevant links).
Blogging on your own site isn't about generating links to other pages. It is about demonstrating your expertise. The links that you should be after is the ones that people read what you have to say, are impressed by it, and link to it from their own website because what you have said is so important that they want THEIR readers to know about it.
-
Got to agree with EGOL here. As soon as you start boiling articles down to numbers like this you're going to lose. There's no magic formula that will protect you from bad copy.
Ignore the links for a moment. Think about how your blog post is going to help promote you business/service. Is it being posted somewhere your target audience are going to read it? Is it useful/interesting to that audience. What's the one thing above all else that you want the reader to do once they've read the article...
-
I've seen this "1 link per 125 words" for blog posts suggestion pop up a variety of places. I wanted to know if that's "correct" or a best practice?
Where are you reading this stuff? I wouldn't read that author any more.
In my posts, I generally write between 800 to 1200 words with about 4 to 6 links in the body of the post.
Wow... that sounds like a great way to get a Penguin attack.
However, (and this may be a problem) I add about 13 links in my closing paragraph, "if you have any legal questions, etc etc, click here for your "Tampa personal injury attorney, Clearwater Personal Injury Attorney, etc etc for all the areas we practice in related to that blog post."
I would stop doing this right away.
-
Hiya,
Firstly it depends if you are linking out of your site or keeping the linking pointed inwardly. Google recently decided it didn't like press releases and guest postings (which upset a few people!) so don't put all of your guest posts in one basket!
For me I'm of the opinion (or style of content marketing) that blog posts should be about the content not the links (obviously its still good to link to things relevant to the post). You should make a blog post that will want people linking to it.
I would say keep links natural looking.Hope this helps and best of luck.
-
Hi Ruben!
I would say that this seems a bit "too much". How about adding a "location" area to the site, and link to it from some sort of main menu instead? Or perhaps one location area to every law section?
Best regards,
Anders
-
Yes, it looks spammy too and really isn't helpful to users and visitors who are reading the information you are writing and sharing. Don't scare your users away with spammy looking links. It's probably affecting the on page elements as well as constantly reproducing the same (internal or external links) on all these blogs posts. These type of 'footer' links at the bottom of all the posts also look spammy to the engines. If you do keep them there, select only 1-2 that are of importance and rel=nofollow the others. I
My recommendation if to link naturally inside the site and blog. Don't just link to yourself., your products, or your pages. Be bigger than that Link to other outside sources as well. Don't be afraid to expand on the type of links you use inside your content. Most people are, but when you link intelligently, and for the benefit of the user, the page's performance, click through, time on page/site, etc will improve. It's a win/win for you and your users experience. Not only will you see in time that you are linking to other really valuable sources for your clients, those sites will be watching who is linking to them, and might garner the attention of the staff there for a natural link mention on their site, or request for a 'quest post'.
Hope some of that helps! Cheers
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
Strategies for Enhancing Lead Generation from Blog Posts
Hello Moz Community, I've been running a blog ( www[dot]arrify[dot]com ) for a while, focused on Salesforce. I'm looking to enhance my lead-generation efforts through my blog content. I would appreciate insights and strategies on the following: SEO Best Practices: How can I optimize my blog posts for better search engine visibility to attract more potential leads? Content Engagement: What types of content (e.g., infographics, videos, in-depth guides) have been most effective for engaging readers and encouraging them to provide their contact information? CTA Placement: Where is the most effective placement for calls-to-action within a blog post to maximize lead capture without detracting from user experience? Lead Capture Forms: Are there any recommended practices for designing lead capture forms that encourage sign-ups? Any specific examples or case studies would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your help!
Content Development | | Kritikgarg0 -
2 blogs and authorship
Hi all, I run a blog from my WP site, and also a seperate one on blogger.com which has authorship linked to it. I'm noticing that if I put up a WP blog (from my site) on my G+, this will pop up on listings presented the same as the authorship (image shown). My question is, although I make sure that I do not duplicate content between the two blogs, will this kind of mixing up of things (incorporating G+) actually be counter-productive? Thanks in advance.... tom
Content Development | | T-J-I0 -
Blog setup best practices
Does SEOmoz have any "best practices" on setting a wordpress blog? Things such as essential plugins, best practices on category structure, what to do and not to do? Thank you!
Content Development | | seomozinator0 -
Are there quality blog sites allowing guest blogging ?
hi can someone guide me the right direction for guest blogging ? i m looking for quality blog sites that allow guest blogging especially for ecommerce related sites. Thank you Nick
Content Development | | orion680 -
Can someone define what a low quality blog is supposed to look like?
I know the recent Google update devalued a lot of low quality blogs, but i'm having a hard time understanding what can be considered low quality? My site is www.247VirtualAssistant.com and it wa sitting in the top 3 for all my keywords(virtual assistant, virtual assistants etc etc). Last month everything tanked and now on the 2nd and 3rd page for my keywords. I'm thinking this is because of a lot of my links got devalued but with my limited SEO knowledge, i'm having a hard time identifiyng these. Please help!
Content Development | | Shajan0 -
Blogging
I have a blog that I post articles to, would it be ok to submit these posts to Ezinearticles as well or will that be considered duplicate content?
Content Development | | SEODinosaur0 -
How many blog posts per page are enough?
Any thoughts on how many blog posts per page are enough for SEO? Assume about 800-900 words per post.
Content Development | | casper4340 -
Blog for SEO: embedded in the site or separate
Hello, For both ecommerce and sites that sell services, I've seen a lot of people recommending a blog for SEO. Should this blog be inside or separate from the main website for the most results? I can see how adding one to a site would create more unique content and an opportunity for link bait, but perhaps there is a reason to have a blog separate from the main site Thank you.
Content Development | | BobGW1