Link Bait - which "Add this Tool" approach is best for Google?

[netfleet]

Hi all,

OK have created a neat little calculator for our site which should be pretty popular & a useful tool for web visitors.

Now my question is, from a Google SEO perspective is it better to:

a) Just have the tool available on my site for general use and hope people link to the page containing the tool
b) Offer people the option to "add this tool to my site" where they can then insert the tool (& a link back to my site) on their site

Whilst I think option b) could be quite attractive and encourage more people so take some sort of action, I have a little concern that because all links are identical and coming from "within" the tool itself, Google might reduce the value of such links (reasoning that, the link back has been "forced" upon the webmaster rather than an organic'vote' for the site). Similarly, all anchor text would be identical so maybe Google will automatically flag the links as non-organic.

Thanks in advance!

[internetheaven]

Let's be honest, the question is "Can I get away with imbedding my link in this free tool"? You don't have to have the link in the calculator so your bush beating is redundant. To answer the implied question, yes, Google will devalue the link if it appears unnatural which the format suggests it would appear. BUT - it will still give you serious inbound linkage even with the value being less. Will you be penalised? Not if you use the right wording in the anchor text.