cross linking

[capsmaster]

I have 4 websites running right now that I consider a little network between all 4. In the footer of each site there is a link to all 4 sites. I have plans to make another 4 websites all on the same general topic but at what point will google give me a penalty for linking them all together. Can I add the 4 new site links at the bottom of the existing sites, or is that too much cross linking. I am not trying to spam yet I don't know if google will see it like that. I would just like those extra links to each site and some traffic into the new ones. Anyone have anything like this now? Let me know your suggestions.
Thanks

[Hardwood Guy]

Why not just keep them all on one site? I don't know how others feel but I personally get tired of seeing sites with very similar content clogging up the SERP's..

My .02

Good Luck:)

[capsmaster]

Thanks for the reply, they are not the same exact content for each site but a smaller subject for each site in the big field. If the big field was widgets and you typed that in none of the websites would be at the top. But if you did a search for big harry widgets one of the sites would come up or free fluffy widgets another site would come up.

[DerekH]

>But if you did a search for big harry widgets one of the sites would come up or free fluffy widgets another site would come up.

I think that hits the nail on the head - the sites are different, complementary and mutually supportive. There's nothing wrong with that - I have two sites that tackle a topic different ways and cross-link to eah other for more information.

Google is very happy - I appear in the top 5 in 37 of my chosen keywords and phrases.

From a user's standpoint, there's a huge difference between cross-linking to get more information and those awful cross-links that connect one trash site to another just to try to ensnare the user.
And I think that this is the important point.

And unlike previous posts, I'm not sure that dumping slightly overlapping content into one big site really helps the visitor that much.
DerekH

[robertskelton]

The trick is not to over do it. If you must have the links in the footer, make sure that they don't comprise the majority of the outward links from your site.

A customer recently got PR0 from too much cross-linking - from every page to every page.

The best way is to just link from home page to home page, and not from the other pages, unless there is the odd one where it is highly appropriate.

[seofreak]

i am with robert on this

[TWhalen]

Or, just create a links page on each site and link to all the other sites from there.