@MultiAdE said in Footer backlink for/to Web Design Agency:

I read some old (10+ years) information on whether footer backlinks from the websites that design agencies build are seen as spammy and potentially cause a negative effect.
We have over 150 websites that we have built over the last few years, all with sitewide footer backlinks back to our homepage (designed and managed by COMPANY NAME).
Semrush flags some of the links as potential spammy links.
What are the current thoughts on this type of footer backlink?
Are we better to have 1 dofollow backlink and the rest of the website nofollow from each domain?

As I'm working at a Web Development Company in New Jersey, we've been reviewing our approach to footer backlinks on the 150+ websites we've built.

Footer backlinks, especially when sitewide and dofollow, can sometimes be flagged as spammy by tools like Semrush and potentially cause negative SEO effects. To avoid this, a more balanced approach is recommended: using 1 dofollow backlink per site, linking back to the homepage, and marking any additional backlinks as nofollow. This reduces the risk of being penalized while still providing some SEO value.

Avoid getting links from spammy, low-quality, or irrelevant sites. However, general submission sites are not a problem. If spam has already affected your site, disavow those links using the search console. My client's website offers beautician courses in Kerala and initially had a spam score of 3, but it decreased after disavowing the links. Use Moz or other tools to identify and remove toxic backlinks."