Should You Allow Off-Topic Links in Guest Posts

[Charlessipe]

Hi Mozzers!

Suppose you accept guest posts on your blog about marketing and a guest blogger wants to use the anchor text "outdoor clothing" in their bio.

Is there a risk to my blog if I allow off-topic links in guest posts? Is there a risk that Google would consider guest post links as paid and apply a penalty?

Thanks!

[Charlessipe]

Thanks. I think I will stop accepting off-topic anchor text links on guest posts to be safe.

[Dan-Petrovic]

Topical relevance can be stretched with a bit of creativity and create a perfectly legitimate reason for it. I would say you provide guidelines and examples to authors on how to properly structure links to avoid potential spam filters and flags with Google. I literally just posted a discussion item on this topic here: http://www.seomoz.org/q/elements-of-a-quality-article

[EGOL]

Is there a risk to my blog if I allow off-topic links in guest posts?

Why would someone want off-topic links with anchor text for any reason other than manipulation?

If you allow people to do this your blog will attract spammers and manipulative link contractors like bugs to a Georgia porchlight!

I can smell the bad odor already!