Free tool which includes a link back to my site
-
On one of my sites I provide a free tool to other webmasters to use that allows them to copy some code to use the free tool on their website and under the tool on it says "Powered by: mysite.co.uk" with a link to "mysite.co.uk".
Now I have no real control over which sites can come and use this free tool (a tool to test how fast an internet connection is), on the whole though it is aimed at a specific niche but a range of sites do use it which means good or crap sites can pick up the free code to place into their sites.
The link to mysite.co.uk is now always mysite.co.uk as the anchor text, I used to use the websites name (which is the actual name of the URL - link to site at end of post) so the links were keyword rich but only to my sites genuine name, however I now just leave it as the URL to my site.
I am not aiming to do anything untowards with the linking other than to get the acknowledgement that it was provided for free by my site, however I'm wondering if google etc will be able to tell they are natural and not dodgy?
My site is: http://bit.ly/MsNQwS (n.b. a new improved test is being created before anyone says it's not accurate).
-
Hi Wardy, probably I was not clear enough, sorry!
Y suscribe to your original proposal, "speed test tool" as a correct anchor,
Good luck!
-
Hi Claudio, I presume you mean to use the following as my full anchor text : "BroadbandSpeedTest.co.uk speed test tool" rather than just "speed test tool"?
I'll be sure to keep track and respond back when I have any useful data etc.
-
Hi again Wardy,
In my opinion your url and anchor (url BroadbandSpeedTest.co.uk and "speed test tool" as an anchor text) are natural enough not to bring any problems. Do not forget to tell us how it worked!
Cheers
-
Hi Robert, thanks for the great reply and sorry it's taken me a while to respond, I was having problems with moz.com last week after I'd posted my question with the site not allowing me to reply despite being logged in.
Anyway, I will perhaps add that webmasters can no follow the link if they wish in the information for the tool and also change the anchor text too then.
With regards to the link will it not look spammy if I use my sites name and then a description of what the tool is considering my sites name is what the tool does?
For example: "BroadbandSpeedTest.co.uk speed test tool" as an anchor text do you think is OK?Thanks for the reply again, very much appreciated!
-
Understood. I guess I just wanted to say that with so many of those tools out there, it will take quite an effort to get the tool into widespread use and that doing so just for to obtain followed links of that sort may not be worth the effort.
-
Definitely agree with Robert, I find no concern on a do follow link and I also would go for a long tail alt text, telling what the tool is useful for.
Good luck and anyway you can make a try and look for your own experience which by the way we would love to hear about when you achieve some conclusions.
Cheers, today no sunny day even in southern spain... :(!
-
Hello Wardy,
If you are really concerned, you should make the links nofollow. However, I think Robert has got this answered for you!
Best of luck,
Amelia
-
Chris,
I was responding before yours had posted and I am not sure this would qualify as a scheme or as an attempt to manipulate rankings. I think it falls more in the area of someone who has developed a Plugin for, say WordPress. Yes, he is wanting links, but if he is clear (and remember these are webmasters) that it links back to his site, I think it really falls in that area of are all infographics of value? IMO, if I went to the trouble to put an infographic on cats without hair on my marketing firm site, I must have thought it provided something (Whether or not John and Matt agree ;).
But, I have to say, one could argue either way.
Best
-
Wardy,
Kudos on utilizing a tool like this for links.
A while back Matt Cutts talked about Google starting to devalue links from infographics. Whether or not they have followed through is anyone's guess. The reasoning (and I paraphrase) was that they felt too often they were being used by people without knowing they were a link back to a site and the infographic was not really a "vote" for content on the site. So, let's assume that Google would look at your tool and see it much the same way (And I think that is worst case scenario); I do not think they would look at some "negative" links from spammy webmasters/sites in a vacuum. IMO they would look at the overall link profile and, based on what you are saying, you should have a "natural" mix of links for this. As to the anchor text in the imbed, I think I would mention the tool and not use your domain. Something like, SiteName's Test Your Broadband Tool, would seem appropriate. The url for the link can be your site's homepage or other.
Hope this helps a bit,
Robert
-
Wardy,
Technically that qualifies as a link scheme according to Google. The thing is, they're not exactly editorial, are they and they might not even provide that much algorithmic value to you now or in the future. John Mueller says this:
“If you are providing really useful widgets and you’re linking back to your website in a way that’s clear to the webmaster and maybe in a way that the webmaster can choose whether or not they want to link there then that’s something that might be a great service to those webmasters and might provide value on other websites and those webmasters may be happy enough that they say, ‘Oh this is a great service. I want to tell my friends about this great service that they are providing."
If you want to be clear that you're not attempting to manipulate rankings by adding your link (anchor text or not) you should just go ahead and nofollow it.
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
-
Is there value of consistently getting a link from a high DA site?
Is there value in consistently getting a link from a high DA sites? For example, consistently posting on a blog monthly rather then only doing it once and getting a link/being done with it. Could you list the pros of consistently getting links on high DA sites?
Link Building | | calf0 -
Are high quality press release syndication site links valuable?
Suppose your press release got picked up by high authority sites like Yahoo, Morningstar, PaidContent.org, etc. But they republished the press release and kept the links. Do these links pass any value since the sites are just republishing the press release?
Link Building | | ProjectLabs0 -
Multiple Links from High Ranking Site Vs. Links from Multiple Domains - What's More Important?
I understand it is important to get links from many quality domains. Currently, I do have links from top domains (PR, Trust) and it I can get more from (high rank) pages on these same domains. Would it be better to focus on expanding my reach (find additional domains to link from) or to continue to build links from the current domains I have a connection with? What is weighted more? I realize doing both is important, but trying to figure out how to best use my time. Thanks! David
Link Building | | DWill0 -
Is there a software to help me check whether the sites that i give link to, also place my link on their site (reciprocal link)?
When i exchange links with others, i usually put their link on my site hoping that they'll do the same. Since it's impossible to check all sites whose link i have placed on my page to see if they have put a link back to me, i was wondering whether there is a kind of software to help me do that!
Link Building | | isidora0 -
Which tool is best for analyzing link prospect urls
Hi Mozers, I am currently looking for the best tool for analyzing bulk urls which are potential link prospects. I would like information on seo quality metrics like rel=nofollow etc. Your advise is much valued. Thanks, Fuad
Link Building | | Fuad_YK0 -
Best Link Building technique using SEOMoz tools & Open Site Explorer
Hi, We've been with SEOMoz for a year or two now, but have have kept an eye out for productive link building tools to help the team. To be honest we're struggling with Open Site Explorer because, although it enables us to discover competitors links it doesn't provide much link management functionality. A simple example would be the ability for Open Site Explorer to show links to domains which my clients already have in a different colour, so that we don't waste time exploring dead ends. I'd be very interested to hear tips how other people use the SEOMoz tools to manage their link building as I suspect we may be missing a trick or two... Thanks in advance!
Link Building | | JonathanSmith0 -
Is it even worth getting a link from PR0-2 , unrelated themed sites?
Is it even worth getting a link from PR0-2 , unrelated themed sites like http://www.area-rug-news.com/ or http://www.denvercohomerentals.com/ to my PR4 health training site that has been around since 2007? Can getting a sitewide blogroll link do more harm than good?
Link Building | | gundogs0 -
Follow or Nofollow outbound links to resourceful, related site?
As I am going through and redeveloping a website, I am trying to add some external links to resourceful information regarding this page. Should I put a nofollow or follow attribute on these? I am only putting 1-5 links per page to associations and other organizations that would be beneficial to the visitor. I am worried about the number of outbound links causing me to get penalized. Ideas?
Link Building | | TKIGWebTeam0