Okay so our SEO recommended that - on our resource page - we put a link to a site w this description: Provides natural sexual health supplements to enhance male libido and restore sexual energy.

Bear in mind that we are a technical training company with a great reputation. How could they recommend we link to this site? What should I do? Is this something that could ban us from Goggle?

Don't do it.

Chances are they are being paid by "that other company" to link build for them, and they make these recommendations to every client to try to help that other link building campaign.

...or some semblance of that idea anyway.

Bottom line is this:

Unless the resources is useful to your users in a relevant way, don't list it. This is a clear mis-match.

Tell them it's not going to happen.

PS - there's very little, if any, value given to YOU from YOUR outgoing links to other sites.

Best case, folks think it was a typo, worst case it'll damage your credibility and rankings.

Almost forgot - one link like this won't get you banned from Google, but the spider will look at you funny, and really, who wants that?

This is just the 10th mistake from our SEO co but I think we are trapped in this contract. This is a revised resource page--the first one was terrible and this one is just as bad. This is a nightmare.

Also a lot of the sites they are recommending we link to have something on their resource page about if you want to link with us, click here. How do the spiders view that? Would these sites be considered link farms?

They could be considered low quality - it depends on the contents and linking patterns...

As a suggestion - research for your own links with the view of providing quality resources for your visitors benefit. Write unique titles and descriptions for each (in other words - spend some time and care).

After launch - simply e-mail the websites you have chosen and let them know you have linked to them as a resource.

Ask them to check the description for accuracy and give them information that would be useful in case they would like to reciprocate. (URL title & unique description)

If they do not reciprocate then do not remove their link - it has been added as a quality resource!

Honestly cfpa, you may simply need to bite the bullet and walk away from this seo firm. based on your posts, they sound incompetent.

Worse, based on your info, it appears they are trying to get you to do things that won't benefit you, but might benefit others.

Trust me I absolutely want to walk away from them - but it's not up to me. All I can do is inform the decision makers about the poor quality work from the SEO and recommend that we walk away. I don't think that will happen though. I'm just scared we will get banned from the engines bec this company is doing something they shouldn't be doing.

Collect the info on what he's recommending.

Balance that with info on what those recommendations may lead to.

Ask the decision makers if that's the route they want the site to go in.

...as for the contract, read it carefully. Plus, as the company paying the fee, you CAN ask to renegotiate the contract. he can say no, but you can also point out the wrong advice he's given, ask him to reconsider or you can see him in small claims court.

I personally would be investing money into my lawyer to void the contract for me. The services are with errors and in some cases, either non-productive, or borderline detrimental.

There's no contract in the world that will hold up if the work performed willingly hurts the client.

Thanks Sportsguy..I'll try that and see what happens.

I just want to collect some things that their recommendations may lead to...putting those bad links on our resource page could ban us from google or just hurt our rankings? The copy with all the errors would result in us looking bad.

I'm just thinking if there is anything more concrete...

We offer general opinion on what works for us from experience or from our own knowledge base.

Nothing that is posted in a forum can be used as evidence as it is purely the posters opinion.

Without fully studying the situation and all of the facts casual advice should be treated within the context in which it is given.

You would be needing an expert witness to do a detailed report for presentation to a court of law and for such details you should see your lawyer (who should have a full understanding of the subject matter).

Very true excel.

cfpa - to try to answer your original question, would that link get you banned or bumped down in the serps:

In all likelihood, no, that one link wouldn't change much on it's own. But, there are so many other factors that come into play, that it could just as easily have an actual affect on you.

IMO, the perspective is from the "how does it reflect on your company" angle.

In the end, if you are not the decision maker, and that person wants to implement the suggestions however off-base they may seem, well, it's beyond your contract and responsibility.

As excel alluded to, a well-versed lawyer is your best asset in this case.

Okay so our SEO recommended that - on our resource page - we put a link to a site

cfpa, when I read that far in the sentence I didn't need to read further. I would stay far away from anyone who calls themself an "SEO" and still is recommending having a "resource page" or "links page" on your site.

Having a "resource page" or "links page" on a site is not only unprofessional, it's getting very close to being something that violates the search engines' acceptable guidelines: don't do anything to 'game' the search engine rankings.

Having a "resource page" or "links page" on a site is not only unprofessional, it's getting very close to being something that violates the search engines' acceptable guidelines: don't do anything to 'game' the search engine rankings.

I know this SEO stinks, but I am very surpried that a resource page is considered unprofessional and something that violates the search engines. If we are providing resources to quality sites, I thought that was good. SEOs that I know are reputable do links. Is this something new?

From a rebutable SEO:
Link building is a critical component of any premium search engine optimization service, increasing the site’s relevance and ranking.

Link building (networking) for the right reasons is a good thing and always will be. As with all good things - as a practice and a concept it can become twisted and abused. It is the abuse or useless misuse by many that has given even the most innocent the need to be cautious in this area these days.

The days of linking to and from other sites is not over - it is the intent, the method and the conditions that one needs to examine.

Bear in mind that we are a technical training company with a great reputation.

As an end user and potential customer, if I went to your site and found links to such things, I would high-tail it out of there, figuring that if you're desperate enough to advertise such things, your business must not be very good that you'd have to link to garbage like that for a few pennies.

As stated, don't link to anything that doesn't add value for your customers/clients.

Link building is a critical component

Link building is critical. Trading links and exchanging links is not recommended because it's doing something to manipulate search engine rankings.

Focus on getting one-way links to your site and not "trading links" by adding resource pages or links pages or whatever you want to call it.

I've been reading about linking building best practices and I keep seeing something about anchor text. How does this relate to tricking the search engines? And also how exactly do you implement anchor text? Thanks.

I'm going to come to the defense of the poor "Resource Page" here...

Provided such a page is truly and legitimately an actual resource page, it's a useful addition for users.

No one website will be everything users need, so having a dedicated page with outgoing link to other quality websites the users might find useful is just good juju.

Now, as mentioned above, the problem arises when you're exchanging links with folks on this page - that can queer the deal.

On on of my websites I have a resource page. It links out to suppliers, manufacturers, retailers and such for all manner of related accessories and parts. I have sections broken out at a state level, and it other cases the list is short enough to fill only a few lines on the page. The entire page is alphabetized, so if you want to find someone selling "bumpers" for example, look under the "B"'s...

Fast forward a year+ and I still chase no links - I build content and move forward - the links follow.

So, a resource page is fine, IMO, if it is, in fact, truly a resource page and not a catchall page of recip'd links.

Hey Sportsguy--I just looked on your website--I didn't even notice that there was a link. Anyway I am reading about link building and noticed this statement

12 - Vary the anchor text in the text link and vary where users land - don’t just use your site’s name and drop everyone to the index page, in other words. Use keywords to direct people to relevant content within your site.

My question is : Does this relate to the people who have a link to your site from their site? Or does it relate to my site linking to other sites. I'm assuming the former bec it might be difficult to use my keywords in descriptions about other sites but I'm not sure. If it's the latter how would you get the other sites to not only have a link to you but to have your keywords in it the way you want.

EDITED BECAUSE I DIDN'T READ FAR ENOUGH

Can I post a resource page I have a question about? Just something I found online that is confusing me about anchor text. This relates to my previous post.

I am looking at the resource page of an Internet Marketing co and they are using their keywords as anchor text to other sites. But based on your advice, Sportsguy, this is on outbound links, not inbound links.

morning cfpa.

Yeah, the site I have listed here is NOT the one my example is based on. That other site is so unrelated to this topic in general that it makes more sense for me to link to the site I do and offer users access to all the articles I have listed.

Now, as regards the link building bit, let's see if I can do this justice:

In a perfect world, you'd be able to tell every Webmaster how to write the link they're putting up to you and which page to direct it at.

So, if a site offering users the latest Tennis news and scores wanted to link to you, and you were an online sporting good retailer, them linking to your main page and using your website name as the link text isn't doing the users any favors, nor is it helping either website.

If, on the other hand, that same website put up a link that read Tennis rackets at low prices and linked it to your page showing users a selection of tennis rackets at low prices, then you're on the money.

It helps their users by offering something related and relevant, and it helps you, in a couple of ways:

1 - users clicking the link are interested, and as such, pre-qualified as potential buyers - the link is clear, so only those interested will click

2 - when spiders see the link, they want to see that where they land is accurately described by the text used in the link. In our example, the spider would smile. The link was clear, the content on the landing page perfectly matches - all's good.

Now, the same logic should, IMO, be applied to ant outgoing resource links you place on your site. Though your concern is NOT helping the other sites get better rankings, your concern is clearly and accurately explaining to the users what they will get when they click the link - nothing frustrates users more than making them rummage around a site for something they expected to see after the click...

It's impossible to control how everyone links to you, but in soem cases, from selected sites, it might be worth trying to contact them to ask them to change how they're linking to you if it'll benefit you more. It's a lot of work, so this tactic should be reserved only for those inbound links from sites that are worth it. If it's a related topic site and a PR is 7-8, then yeah, it might be worth making sure the anchor text they're using and the page they're pointing at at being focused on for best effect.

If it's a brand new website hoping to exchange links with you, no matter how "related" they are, how slick the site is, etc., it's not going to bring you any benefit to work with them on massaging the link deets - invest the time elsewhere.

Best bet is to post it up with italics around it, or update your profile for a bit with the link listed and let us know to take a peek.

The italics code is: [small "i"]link info here[/small "i"]

The "small "i" bit gets replaced with just the letter i and it'll make the text in between italics and stop the system form creating an active link.

Sportsguy
I read through what you wrote on link building and I do have some additional questions:

1. What is a good subject line when you send that email to webmasters
2. Are you supposed to include the text including anchor text that you would like them to put on their resource page or does that come later?
3. And to explain my previous question - do i put my keywords in the description and links to another site like this: Chemical engineering training is one of my keywords and that keyword links to a site about how various types on engineering things work. The topics in quotations go directly to that specific article. Is this what anchor text is?

Howstuffworks
Excellent Chemical Engineering training resource that offers information on “How Nanotechnology Will Work,” "How Gas Turbine Engines Work" and more.

1. What is a good subject line when you send that email to webmasters

Sad as this answer is, it depends. You want something professional and with their own name in it if possible. I'd avoid using phrases like "link request" and such. Though I can provide the ideas on how to do it, I don't actively solicit links any more myself and what worked for one webmaster didn't work for others.

I would follow up with a webmaster after a week, and try a different title. Some guys are busy, some have filters on, etc. If you don't hear back on the second attempt, skip them.

2. Are you supposed to include the text including anchor text that you would like them to put on their resource page or does that come later?

I'd personally wait - this is a business relationship you're entering into, and like any relationship, too much, too soon can spook people. If they're willing enough to reply back, then feel free to include all the deets in your response back to them.

3. And to explain my previous question - do i put my keywords in the description and links to another site like this: Chemical engineering training is one of my keywords and that keyword links to a site about how various types on engineering things work. The topics in quotations go directly to that specific article. Is this what anchor text is?

Website Name
Excellent Chemical Engineering training resource that offers information on “How Nanotechnology Will Work,” "How Gas Turbine Engines Work" and more.

Yep - make it as easy as possible for them - copy and paste. They may still change things at their end for their own reasons, but by providing them the basic layout of what you'd like to see, there's a much better chance of getting it.

Your info to them might look like this in your e-mail to the webmaster:

Descriptive Text:
Website Name is an excellent Chemical Engineering training resource that offers information on “How Nanotechnology Will Work”, "How Gas Turbine Engines Work" and more.

Text to link:
Chemical Engineering

Target URL:
http://www.yourdomain.com/training/chemcical-engineering.html

This made me laugh. This sentence is from the awful SEO co I am stuck with. Again, they sent me a revised resource page - this time containing links to diet pill sites instead of viagra. Again, having nothing to do with our site. So I told them that and this is the response I got

"This page is not meant to be an actual ‘resource’ page but is just a means to get link-backs"

Isn't that great?

Well, in real life, it might bring you customers to put your flyers in an adult store. But if the adult store wants you to put their flyers in yout store, this might be something your existing customers dislike.

Getting those shady sites (like diet pills, viagra, ...) for a link exchange is pretty easy. Personally I expect some of them to even pay the SEO for the link exchange. SEO with very low effort ;-)

As a suggestion - research for your own links with the view of providing quality resources for your visitors benefit. Write unique titles and descriptions for each (in other words - spend some time and care).

I am looking at the resource page of an Internet Marketing co and they are using their keywords as anchor text to other sites. But based on your advice, Sportsguy, this is on outbound links, not inbound links.

[ Message was edited by: JimBot 03/14/2007 08:33 am ... Reason: Edit out link - see our TOS thanks. ]

Hello cfpa,

Well, you backtrack some of the other posts that cfpa has made about the seo he is using, there is a lot of black hat methods being tried. For cfpa to even mention in forums some of what his seo is telling him shows that they have no clue on how to achieve a top ranking in the search engines. Otherwise, his SEO would know that you only need to focus on a couple of things, optimize for it, and see the results.

Just my thoughts,
Chris

first of all this will lack relevancy as it is is not even closely related not even one bit.

You need to stick with websites that relate to your site as this will help boost backlinking at Google, otherwise your effort will be a waste.


[link]

Might want to remove that link mony30 - just to stay within the rules here about self promotion and link dropping...

It'll be removed by a mod shortly, but if you beat them to it, it's just better.

Just wanted to add a new link my SEO suggested we put on our site. Now bear in mind they have already suggested we link to a viagra site and I told them that we never want links like that and look what they just sent over. I mean this is a disgrace.

Free from Herpes Programme
Outstanding New Self Hypnosis breakthrough. This programme has a 97.3% success in treating Genital or Oral herpes.

I'd really love to post their name. I don't want anyone else to have to put up with such a terrible SEO. At this point though is that my co isn't handling them better (i.e., break the contract). Grrrr

Very sorry to hear you are still locked into this mess...

Thanks for your kinds words...it's a frustrating thing not having any control but all I can do is inform management about what they are doing.