Linking Structure

is this considered safe...

[Total Paranoia]

I know there have been many discussions here on link structure and I fully realise that this is an area in which to tread very carefully unless you realise and accept the risks. However, how do you feel about this.

I have 2 Hubs

Hub A Hub B

and 10 spokes 1 - 10

Hub A links to all 10 spokes and spokes 1 - 9 all link back to Hub A. Spoke 9 links to spoke 10 and 10 back to 9 as they are both related. Spoke 1 links to 2 as it is related but 2 doesn't link back to 1. No other spokes are linked.

This hasn't caused any problems despite all sharing the same host apart from spoke 9.

OK, now in comes Hub B...a brand new website

Spokes 1,3 and 4 all link to Hub B and Hub B links back to spokes 1,3 and 4.

What I would like to do is link Hub B to Hub A without linking A to B but I am scared that this might just be pushing it a little too close to the edge. If I do add the link I am considering adding a nofollow tag to stop googlebot picking up on the link. I do not use a robots.txt file.

I know this is not large scale interlinking but your opinion is much appreciated.

TP

[Dante_Maure]

The actual pattern of linking is far less important than it's appearance within the "geography" of the web on a whole.

Two major things to consider:

1) Does this linking structure contribute to the usability and value to the end user without any regard for the SE's?

2) Do all of the sites in question have a large number of quality inbound links from sites outside your network. (more external inbounds per site than all of your own cross-linked pages will create)

If you can answer "yes" to both questions, I personally don't see a problem. That said, what I see isn't the issue... Google's current and future algo is where the buck stops. (and their editors in the event of competitors complaining)

I welcome other perspectives based on first-hand experience.

[Total Paranoia]

Thanks for your reply Dante_Maure

I think the way to go is not to link these any further as I get too nervous. Many of the sites are very good in terms of content and have natural links but a few are immature. I shall wait 6 months or more before I continue with any further linking.

Thx

[Powdork]

I would skip the nofollow tag as I'm not sure of its effectiveness. It only means that Gbody will not follow the link to find whats at the end of it. It doesn't mean it won't know the link exists. Dante_Maure had some excellent points but mostly the one about usability without regards to SE's. That is the litmus test.