How do you stop your competitors from copying your links...?

[Sploch]

Nowadays, it is very simple to find all the links pointing to a particular website (e.g. Yahoo Site Explorer, SEO Majestic, SEOMoz, etc), how can I - as a webmaster - stop my competitors from finding out my link building strategies?

• Robot.txt; what are the implications of using robot.txt for my Search Engine ranking? If I block SEO M. or Yahoo! crawling my website, will they also disregard all the valuable links that I've build up...?

Cheers : )

 

[lynxus]

You cant.

Blocking search engines with robots will hinder your SEO

 

[OldWelshGuy]

You build a load of low value links unrelated to your main strategy. These links will help you in a small way, but more imp[ortantly they will onfiscate your big link juice links. However, if the SEO doing the link comparison is good, he will be able to find your big link juice links, it will just take lopnger.

What you need to do is hide your actual strategy rather than the links, so as I say, obfiscate them by building loads of varied links.

 

[LianneF]

I've been looking at competitors links using yahoo but it only shows the first 1000, any suggestions on what free software shows all of them. Used Link Diagnosis before but doesn't seem to show them all either anymore?
Thanks
Lianne

 

[Curious]

I've been looking at competitors links using yahoo but it only shows the first 1000, any suggestions on what free software shows all of them. Used Link Diagnosis before but doesn't seem to show them all either anymore?
Thanks
Lianne

Sign up to Majesticseo for a month and trawl all your competitors and make a massive list. Or sign up to SEOMoz for a month free and use their Opensite explorer.

No one is going to give you a complete overview I doubt, but I've used these two successfully in the past.

 

[VinceSamios]

Regarding the original question - your focus is completely wrong... as long as they are always just playing catch up, you don't have a thing to worry about. Keep pushing forwards, and never look behind you, only in front....

 

[Curious]

You build a load of low value links unrelated to your main strategy. These links will help you in a small way, but more imp[ortantly they will onfiscate your big link juice links. However, if the SEO doing the link comparison is good, he will be able to find your big link juice links, it will just take lopnger.

What you need to do is hide your actual strategy rather than the links, so as I say, obfiscate them by building loads of varied links.

When you try and hide them do you build loads of links that are similar but not as powerful? Or do you just try and hide them in the midst of lots of others? If you don't mind me asking. Been thinking I could do with doing a bit of this for a new site.

 

[OldWelshGuy]

there are many ways to drive link juice to a site, and they don't all include linking driectly to the money site. it is fairly easy to get 20 really cracking links, then build thousands of low level links in a pattern that will appear logical, which most untrained guys will pick up. The only way to do link analasys properly is to find the big links, and then look at who links to those links, and that takes time and a half.

Slowing down the opposition link pillagers is all part of the game (as Vince says above) just keep doing what you are doing and let them worry about you.

 

[RevaxMedia]

Most SEO backlink checkers will disregard low quality links and display the links in order of PR and Link juice. Just make links that can't be duplicated such as partnerships.

 

[OldWelshGuy]

Most SEO backlink checkers will disregard low quality links and display the links in order of PR and Link juice. Just make links that can't be duplicated such as partnerships.

Indeed, which is why you make it really difficult, and also force them to do more work. As you say, getting links from palces they can't is perfect.

 

[aidan1980]

i have followed competitors links like most have at a guess. then a competitor went and copied most of mine, i felt violated lol

 

[terryuk]

I just came across a page with some symbols in, went to Yahoo site explorer and doesn't show the links.

The symbol were +

Not sure if that'll work for me, but I am going to try it and I can't disclose URL sorry.

So basically my+page+name.php

Hmmm no another site with + is showing links ONE guy knows how to do it by the look of it

 

[jhardy2008]

yes... you have to hide your website seo stuff from search engine crawlers for this.