Outbound links query

[ryan4444]

I am thinking of having an outbound link on my home/landing page for a definition of one of my trade as a tree surgeon to wikipedia

1) will doing the above help my seo if i were to do 3 from my home page?

2) Do i need permission for all outbound links i have on my site?

 

[fisicx]

1. No - won't make the slightest difference.

2. No - you can link to anyone you like.

However, nobody cares about a definition of your trade in the same way they don't care about you or your company. All I want want to know is if you can sort out my tree, how much it's going to cost, how long it will take and how to get in contact. I might be interested that use biofuel in your chainsaws and sell the wood to some eco carpenter but this is secondary information.

Keep it simple stupid. Tell me how you can help me, the advantages of hiring you and show me how to get in contanct. Don't assume I can work out to click on the 'contact me' link. You need to think like a potential client and not like an arborist.

 

[SFD]

I disagree with fisicx and think outbound links do make a difference.

They should be to relevant, informative sites.

No links out is like Google coming to a dead end.

 

[edmondscommerce]

hmm yep linking out is a good thing if its on topic and to good sites

 

[fiona davies]

pay attention to the text before the link and after the link as robots look at this for relevence. Keep it on topic.

 

[fisicx]

Ryan asked about SEO benefits - there won't be any for this link.

Agree that outbound links can provide a better browsing experience but people who need their trees pruning don't really care about the defintion of an arboreal chopper.

Much better to put this sort of link on the 'about us' or supplemental pages. You don't want people linking off site before they have noticed you phone number.

Build your sites for people not the search engines.

 

[SFD]

Build your sites for people not the search engines.

It's easy to say that but you have to do a bit of both.

What's the point of having a nice, easy to read, perfect information site if no bu**er finds it?

It's also fine and dandy to say write regular, informative content and people will link to you. That is also not true, in reality how many people are going to link to a website of a local tradesman that they have never seen because it doesn't appear in the search engines.

I agree it would be great it sites ranked on how informative they are, but it's not true.

Take a look at plumbers--manchester/co/uk and tell me that ranks 4th for the terms plumbers manchester based on informative content.

To build a successful site, imo, it is between building for the customer, like fisicx said, and also doing stuff for google, like the site above. One or the other isn't enough.

(That site above isn't mine and I don't think it is a good example of a site at all but it is just to proves that building for search engines does work.)

IMO, outbound links help with SEO - not just user experience.

 

[ryan4444]

Build your sites for people not the search engines.

I am trying to get a balance of building my site for the search engines aswell as the users as if they cant find it in the first place they wont use it! and also if they find it difficult or confusing to use they wont use it. I agree to K.I.S.S!

Cheers

Ryan

 

[ryan4444]

pay attention to the text before the link and after the link as robots look at this for relevence. Keep it on topic.

Thanks nice little tip!

 

[UKSBD]

If you are going to provide outbound links I would be more inclined to provide links to information about TPO's, planning conditions, neighbour dispute websites, etc.
Or better still put the information about TPO's on your own pages, create
a FAQ's page about when trees can be pruned/cut down and make it informative enough that people might link to it.

 

[ryan4444]

Much better to put this sort of link on the 'about us' or supplemental pages.

Yes i think i will do that- thankyou

 

[Birmingham]

1) it can help u a bit, if it's very relevant to your site. but it's not gonna help u a lot, and there's a chance it could harm u a lot. so i would usually not bother. depends on so many variables.

2) u don't need permission if it's just a plain text link containing words commonly used in the english language. but if u start using images or textual trademarks, it's best to have permission. but due to the nature of wikipedia being all about free stuff, i wouldn't worry about permission for using the word Wikipedia on your site.

 

[ryan4444]

2) u don't need permission if it's just a plain text link containing words commonly used in the english language. but if u start using images or textual trademarks....

what are textual trademarks is it any text that has a copyright C symbol or any of the other symbols after the text?

 

[Birmingham]

textual trademarks are words like Wikipedia and Google which were not proper words until the organisations came along.

they represent the organisation, and are not used in everyday speech unless referring to the relevant organisation, and if you come along and stick their word on your page it might misleadingly imply that you represent them or are endorsed by them...etc

 

[ryan4444]

textual trademarks are words like Wikipedia and Google which were not proper words until the organisations came along.

they represent the organisation, and are not used in everyday speech unless referring to the relevant organisation, and if you come along and stick their word on your page it might misleadingly imply that you represent them or are endorsed by them...etc

Thanks last question!- so i can still outbound link to trademark sites like eg google as long as i dont use the word eg google in the link text???

 

[Birmingham]

Thanks last question!- so i can still outbound link to trademark sites like eg google as long as i dont use the word eg google in the link text???

legally, yes, as long as u make sure there is no implication that you are affiliated with them. in the case of google, though, everyone linsk to them, so i wouldn't worry about using the word Google (which we've been doing endlessly in this thread) unless you're like the biggest company in the world.

 

[JElder]

Isn't 'to google' now in the Oxford English Dictionary - it has become part of the language, and no longer a brand name (similar to 'doing the hoovering')

 

[AngelSEO]

1. No - won't make the slightest difference.

2. No - you can link to anyone you like.

However, nobody cares about a definition of your trade in the same way they don't care about you or your company. All I want want to know is if you can sort out my tree, how much it's going to cost, how long it will take and how to get in contact. I might be interested that use biofuel in your chainsaws and sell the wood to some eco carpenter but this is secondary information.

Point one and two are correct, but if you are finding the clients of your don't understand what you do, linking to wikipedia isn't a bad idea - but it would be better if you had the content from wikipedia on your website, they have licences to allow joe public to place there content of other peoples website (please check the licence agreement for the article first). That way you wont be forcing your website users to visit another website and you will keep them on your own site.