Ramblings, ravings and rantings on the Real Estate world
Here are a couple of great links discussing Google's real estate reciprocal link penalty. Should be required reading for everyone...
From SEOMOZ
From CAD Website Design
Great stuff Jay and Francy.
I find it very interesting that it is realtor to realtor links at the root of this problem. Not what I would have thought at all...
They were all linking to other agents - not to sites outside of the real estate industry. All told approximately 150 sites (not thousands) have been penalized..
So Jay linking in house with point 2 agents is not a good thing ?I already block the point2 links from point 2 on my FL site, it that a good thing or bad..because my site has dropped.
Vance
Interesting reading. Thanks, Jay
Don't answer Vance, Jay. Yesterday he pointed out that he's the spawn of illegal immigrants. Ya' gotta draw the line somewhere....
:)
Jay should know All about spawning he lives in AZ !! ha ha
Ok Phil I owe you one!!!:)
Thanks Jay, you can always be counted on for good information.
AdVance admitted to be the spawn of illegal aliens, literally, via CT. Nonetheless, both of YOU, back to your corners, the bell has rung! Oh, what the heck, it's Friday. Fridays here are usually pretty funny because we're all so punchy. And, as was pointed out elsewhere, it's a full moon week.
Have at it!
Yea!! Cathy is Right..
AdVance admitted 2B d spawn of illegal aliens, literaly, via CT. Nonetheless, both of u, b2 yr corners, d bell hs rung! O, w@ d heck, it's fri. Fridays hre r usu prety funE coz we're ll so punchy. n, as wz pointed ot elsewhere, it's a ful m%n wk. av @ it!
That is alien talk
Great post Jay ... I think that we knew Google was going to catch on and nail use eventually. I acutually removed all recripocal links from my site in April (thank goodness).
A great follow-up article (with a couple of nice diagrams) can be found at: http://www.cadwebsitedesign.com/blog/googles-real-estate-reciprocal-link-penalty-explained.html#comment-10713
Now I'm absolutely convinced that Vance is actually 15 years old. Either that, or my children are the spawn of illegal aliens. He's using text message "speak". I don't know which one scares me more.
Ooops ... I read your 2nd article ... it was the same link I just posted ... sorry, should pay more attention. (But, hey ... great minds think alike LOL)
Help, my thread has been hijacked by aliens! :)
Vance - I'm not sure what all to think about reciprocal linking. Personally, I've never been a fan of it and I've never done it. It just never has made sense to me. I mean how many people are going to come to some Arizona real estate agent's site, looking for a Realtor in Maine, or New Jersey, or where ever? I only link to other sites I think my visitors will find useful.
Supposedly Google has only penalized 150 real estate sites (though how anyone has the actual number is beyond me). But Google is well known for trying things out on a small scale before they implement them on a wide-scale basis.
Personally, I think playing with reciprocal linking right now is playing with fire. But that's just my opinion. I'm sure other's will disagree.
Yea Cathy you go girl,,
I was using text message "speak",
Thanks Jay,
I removed the point 2 link page just to see what may happen, my Florida took a bit of hit this past update, I will just have to see what happens next update.
thanks Jay
Illegal Alien version:
thx Jay,
I removed d point 2 Lnk pg jst 2 c wot mA hpn, my Florida t%k a bit of hit DIS past ^d8, I wiL jst hav 2 c wot hpns NXT ^d8.
thx Jay
Addios Amego's!
If you have a realtor links page you can hide it from the search engine spiders by going to the meta tags keywords link and clicking the "No Index" box. The Point2 explanantion next to the box says that the page then won't be found by the search engines. So you can have your links and eat them too. I mean cake.
Mark,
Then doesn't that defeat the purpose of a link exchange?
Gail, I think it's the link between Realtors, not others. Correct me if I'm wrong Jay, but links to preferred lenders, community sites, etc. don't incur pentalties, unless there are just not too many of them redirecting visitors from your site or trying to manipulate the Search Engines. "Over-linking" to any one particular profession, such as several different mortgage brokers, could cause pentalties, as well?
As I've heard so many times before, from so many here (and links they've provided), don't try to manipulate the engines! Focus on your content and make sure it's relavent to your visitors, not the search engines.....the engines will find you if the content is relavent, generates traffic and visitors linger. The more pages they visit, and the longer they stay, before leaving your site, the more relevant your content, and the more opportunity the "bots" have to search and "place".
I'll give an example. I put on one of my pages, the "Massachusetts National Cemetary" and the link to search those Veterans buried there. It's a great benefit to genealogists and those searching for distant relatives, directions to funerals, etc. Just think about how many WWI and WWII Veterans in the Northeast are being buried here in the Town of Bourne? I didn't put it on the page to attract visitors, but I seem to get a lot of questions about it. So I just decided to place a link on the Town of Bourne page.
On my recent UltraStats, I had a few people who found me via the search term "Massachusetts National Cemetary"! Go figure!
Again, focus on content and what may be relavent to your audience. The engines will find you.
BTW, I've found this link helpful:
http://www.searchengineworkshops.com/seo-tip-of-the-day.html
This was passed along by someone here, I know, but can't recall who. Not every tip is helpful to me personally, but many are and I open these emails and think about the applications every day.
Sorry, Vance! I was just having fun! Sorry to Jay, also!
But don't trust Cathy, either. Smoker..... :)
So are those directories that offer to list you and do a reciprocal link count towards being penalized? They aren't other agents, but they list agents, mortgage brokers, etc and their sites. I have some of those links and am wondering now if I should remove them or not.
You the more I look at your photo!! you do look like, Dr Phil, without the mustache..
http://www.whois-whatis.com/images/DrPhil.jpg
Ad-Vance
Ok now I am really confused. I signed up with link manager a year or two ago to add links to my site. I have about 400-500 reciprocal links. A lot of them are Real Estate web sites and they are from all over the world. Am I looking for trouble or since they have been accumulated over a two year period, does that make them OK. I have more then half as Real Estate sites. My reason was that although I may not have to many people looking for a home from my site in a cold climate, I may have a few that click through from the reciprocal link. And I have, I get 8-10 visitors a month.
So does this message recommend that you have no real estate sites as links?
That is SO mean, Vance! You are not supposed to take any of this personally. Grow up! Wait....
I mean: Thata isa soa meana Vanceito! Youa not suposa to taka this so (sorry, I don't know Italian for "personally").
I know.....Phil sleeps with the fishes....
*I* can't tell anyone what to do with recip links. All I can do is share what I've read, and tell you what I do. The last thing I wan't to do is recommend some action only to have someone's site crater.
The general consensus is linking out to real estate RELATED sites is fine. Probably good in fact - lenders, schools, title companies, community sites, whatever.
What appears to be getting sites in trouble is tons of links to other real estate agent sites.
It's probably better if they are spread out over time, include "anchor text" (text in front of and behind the link) and there aren't too many on one page. But it's sounding like it's BEST if they aren't there at all.
Directories are a good question. The more reputable directories seem to be OK, though probably not as helpful as they used to be. I don't hear much discussion on directories. It seems mostly focused (for now) on the types of pages that have link after link after link to nothing but other agent sites. Does that really do your USERS any good?
Also, from what I read, the sites getting hit the hardest with penalties are ones that have hundreds of links. If you link to a few sites (and no one seems willing or able to define "few") then it's probably OK.
Part of the problem/concern is that no one really knows (other than a few people at Google, and they'll never tell) exactly what might, and might not, get penalized.
I do my best to follow Google's "Webmaster Guidelines". In my opinion, they sum up a LOT with this statement:
Another useful test is to ask, "Does this help my users? Would I do
this if search engines didn't exist?"
( http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=35769 )
Answer "no" to either of those then it's not the best thing to do...
Personalmente, Phil . . .
PS . . . Phil, different subject altogether but have you seen the Bruce Campbell Old Spice commercials? You were the one telling about the book and him being a local.
And did you see Burn Notice? Very cool, both . . .
Gail, Yes. If Google now says that too many links between realtors and real estate agents is Not Good for your ranking, then the rules have changed. Those types of link exchanges will hurt you. Google has defeated that type of link exchange.
Point2 says that if you check the No Index box that page will still be visible on your website, but invisible to Google and the other engines. So, it will defeat the link exchange but not the link coming in to you until the other site changes your link on their page. You will have a one-way link for awhile.
However, I am going to remove my page because it is almost entirely real estate agents and I haven't received a customer from any of those 300 links in 5 years. If it hurts my ranking, I will make up for it with other content.
Hi Candice.
Yes on the Old Spice commercial. LOVE IT!
No on "Burn Notice". But I'll try.
To Jay: Please excuse the hijack.
To all: Have a GREAT weekend!
I think the rules with Google will change again next week, just to keep us on our toes. Every week google does something different and then I start to get those lovely calls how their company can put me in the top 5 of any search engine.
I hope P2 understands how the other RE Hosting Co's got in trouble, so we can avoid that problem here....
Note that SEO penalties were levied against "web sites all designed by one company".
The penalized link swapping was apparently a programming thing.
Legitimate directories have their place.
Yes, sorry Jay . . . I am getting old and forgetful. Or I've just commented on too many of these posts that I can't remember how to find them again . . . LOL . . .
I have been in and out of the recip link game. I just market the heck out of my website of my own volition. I knew trouble would ensue when I started to get link requests from people I was pretty sure I wouldn't get referrals from -- or do business with . . .
Thanks Mark. I still have a few reciprocal links with Realtors and I may just do what you suggested and delete them. I am keeping my links with some directories such as dmoz, GreatRED and Active Rain.
Phil Anderson said:
Phill You Got A Movie Message Waiting For Ya Below..piazno!
http://www.dvolver.com/live/movies-25933
Vanceito Corleone
The Corleone Family
That was GREAT Vance!!!! Thank you! Appologies! You da' man!
Ha haha
Hey Phil you can have a bunch of fun with that movie maker huh!
My next movie will will be coming out soon, so watch out for it in a blog thread ...........
Chow!!!
Sounds like a consiracy to make real estate agents buy "pay-to-click".
Thanks Jay & Francy.
I have checked the no index box on that page, so the search engines won't index it or penalize it.
To those of you who I have had reciprocal links with, your information is still there but won't be indexed.
To see your information click this link:
http://www.realestatetorrington.com/US_Realtors/page_1782944.html