The Sites You Must Never Link To
Getting inbound links is only half the battle for building solid search engine traffic. The other half of the equation in Search Engine Rank is the quality of the content on your site. Since many links are reciprocal, and since more sites are being built with reprintable articles, site owners may have risks that they did not know they had.
Most site owners think that they'd never link to a site with a bad reputation. But how do you know? How can you tell when a site is not just ok for now, but on the verge of being banned? And every time you place a reciprocal link on your site, or post an article by another author, you are running the risk of having a “bad” link on your site. If you know how to avoid that, then it significantly reduces the risk.
Sometimes you cannot tell, but there are certain types of sites, no matter their status now, which you know will eventually get banned. And you can check at any time to see if a site has already been banned from Google, just do a net search for “google ban tool” and see what you come up with.
Some people prefer to use the Google Toolbar, but I have a thing about toolbars, because they are almost always used to collect some kind of surfing data. I just don't like spyware of any kind, even if it does give me something in return. I can get that info in other ways, and I do.
Besides checking to insure that a site has not been banned before you list it on your site, you'll need to actually LOOK at the site. I suggest looking at at least two things:
1.The home page. It should be unique. It should not have an open directory format where anyone can submit anything without review. And it should not be a classified site. It should not have anything dishonest, illegal, or unethical on the pages. And it should not use “black hat” SEO tactics (hidden text, keyword stuffing, metatags that do not relate to the site, etc).
2.The Links page. Check to insure that they are not linking to disreputable sites - if their link page is a listing of questionable things, then they are trading links with anybody and everybody. If they are, then they will soon be banned.
When you post reprintable articles on your site, it is important that you check the links in the article and in the Resource Box to insure that it is not dishonorable also - some article directories already screen for link quality, some do not. Check the links in the articles in the same way you would check any other site.
These tips are especially important if you operate an article library where people can submit content to your site, or if you operate a directory of any kind. You need to insure that every link is good quality so that it won't kill your credibility. Don’t ever allow people to automatically post items without your approval first.
If you have a guestbook, or a forum, then you also need to be vigilant. I would not recommend EVER having an unmoderated guestbook on a site, they just fill up with spam.
Now, once in a while, errors do occur. And overall, Google is forgiving of a link or two that is not normally acceptable. After all, sites do change, and you can't control everything. But if you don't check the links, then you won't just have a little error. You'll have a huge problem that you did not know was coming.
You see, when you allow a disreputable link onto your site, the person who put it there will do one of two things: They will either begin to send you more like it, or they will post your URL onto the forums and boards of people who are banned from the search engines. They are desperate to get links, and usually they are selling illegal items or dishonest ones, so they will use ANY means, fair or foul, to get their sites promoted. If you open the door just once, you'll be swimming in filth within hours. I cannot begin to tell you how aggressive they can be if given the chance.
So screen everything that you allow to be posted on your site, no matter what its source. And don't trust anyone until you check them out. Then, check them out again periodically, to insure that they have not pulled a switch on you.
When the link is on your site, it is your reputation on the line. So perform a quick check, and you'll be glad you did.
Written by Laura Wheeler, mom to eight, and owner of Tired of Hype, where you can find a wide variety of honest business resources and quality tested resale rights items. Laura is an experienced web designer with many corporate and small business clients, and a specialist in shoestring startup business issues.