Interlinking Sites

[ThePokerBank]

Just to give an example, lets say that you intend on creating a series of mini-sites with only around 30 or so pages each. The sites will have the same layout design, but will have different colour schemes. All the content will be original, and because they will all be like sister-sites, you will be interlinking them from the top of each page so that users can jump between the sites in the collection.

My question is, would it be best to no follow these links between each of the sites in the collection?

The idea of linking each of the sites together is for the benefit of the user, and I'm thinking that seeing that each site clearly links to each other site in the mini-network, it might be viewed as an attempt to manipulate rankings in the search engines. So from a purely white-hat perspective, is the nofollow attribute best used in this case?

I'm not sure if this would be being overly cautious of a penalty that wouldn't even occur, but I would be interested in hearing some thoughts.

[Sebastien]

Hey,

I can try to help..

I think it really depends on whether all your sites are hosted on the same IP. If they are all connected to each other and have the same IP then this looks like a network. Google looks for patterns and may discount some of these links although I don't know whether you could get a penalty.

If the IPs are different and the sites are very relevant in content then you should definitely keep "do follow" links. Google will value these individual sites more because they will have quality and relevant links.

You may want to optimize your linking pattern as well to avoid closed loops. Bootycraze gave this example to avoid that a website links to itself:

WebSite 1 Links to 2 3 4 5
WebSite 2 Links to 3 4 5 6
WebSite 3 Links to 4 5 6 7
WebSite 4 Links to 5 6 7 8
WebSite 5 Links to 6 7 8 9
WebSite 6 Links to 7 8 9 10
WebSite 7 Links to 10 11 12 1
WebSite 8 Links to 2 3 4 5
WebSite 9 Links 3 4 5 6
WebSite 10 Links 4 5 6 7
WebSite 11 Links 5 6 7 8
WebSite 12 Links 6 7 8 9

To get links from different IPs I usually set up blogs on free hosting plateforms, like Blogger or Wordpress. There are a ton of those, do a search for "free hosting blog". I create some mini sites that are relevant to my main site and direct all their links to it. My main site has its own domain of course. Because all the mini sites' outgoing links are directed to my main site, they are powerful in the eyes of Google.

Alternatively, you could use seohosting.com which gives you one different C-block address per site. I am about to join them and could give you some feedback if you're interested.

Anyways, hope this helps a little bit,

-- Sebastien

[GCPguy]

I wouldn't add the 'nofollow' attribute. There's nothing wrong with interlinking related sites. A good rule of thumb is, if it's good for your visitors - do it.

The problem would be if you had 1000 different niche sites linking to each other.

[mypokercorner]

Exactly. Penalizing sites is a last resort thing. Google doesn't want to penilize sites, it wants to archive them so you have to do something uterly crooked to get a site banned. The worse case scenario is they they would decide not to archive certain pages. But then again, Google's philosophy has always been "it if's to the benefit of visitors, it's fine with us", so if these links are related and apporpriate, you shouldn't have issues.

[ThePokerBank]

Okay thanks for the replies. I was in an exceptionally cautious frame of mind when I considered this, and it's not as if I'm violently trying to shake up the rankings by interlinking a small network of sites.

Thanks again.

[mjmurphy53711]

What's the opinion on this question when one or more of the same sites is possibly on the same IP?

[BootyCraze]

Pokerbank. I hope you are not doing it to boost your main site. That should take care of itself. Nofollow would be a waste of time unless you are genuinely sending your traffic to a better option with the content. A win win situation really. Damn right you should interlink your own sites, keep them follow. Be prepaired to get penalised. Its against the rules.

The same IP thing is a bit of a myth but im sure it has a little merit if you are only linking to and from your own sites but there are many free sites to cover that. Google can easily spot what you are doing but you know the risks. Treat them as throw away sites and you will be fine.

Pokerbank, you are one of the few people here who got listed on DMOZ. Dont even think about throwing that away by picking up a temp boost on your rankings.

Yeah, mini sites. Screw the hell out of it but keep your main site detatched

[Sebastien]

How did you get listed into DMOZ,

Did you bribe them or something ?

They seem very elitist in their selection process or something.

[AceHigh Pino]

DMOZ isn't the most difficult thing in the world to get into - just make sure the site is complete and relevant to the category you put it in and hopefully the editor can get you in. I've had 2 that I got in, 1 in which actually is the first listing in it's category.

BTW, solid thread - mainly because I have a reseller account with a lot of my smaller sites on the same IP's. Makes me think about getting dedicated IP's for some of 'em though just so I can interlink a few of them properly.

[ThePokerBank]

Yeah Pino is right. I'm sure if you work on content and focus on creating an informative site then DMOZ will be happy to accept you. I have heard a few stories of sites being unfairly removed or not given a chance in some areas, but everything seems to run perfectly in the poker section.

But anyways. My main concern with interlinking your own sites is because of the fact that it could be considered a possibly grey hat technique.

This is because when you are linking from one of your own sites, this is not a "natural" link because you are obviously biased and will want to link to your own sites to help them rank well. If Google can spot this, then they are not going to want to give too much credit to that link because that link is likely not to have been put there if the site belonged to someone else.

I'm not sure if this would warrant a penalty, but that was at the core of my question. Really appreciate all the responses by the way!