Effect of deep linking, one way from site A to Site B

[silverbytes]

What is the effect of deeplinking sites? That is:

Site A in page whatever.htm links to: site B > page1.htm
site B > page2.htm
samething up to site B page18.htm

a)Would that be damaging hurt for both sites?
b)Would that benefit site or hurg B in any way?
c)Would that benefit or hurt site A in any way?

[tedster]

The first thing that jumpos out at me is this - if Google didn't know before that these two domains are related - that is, under some form of common control or association - then they certainly would when this kind of interlinking gets launched.

So what does that mean? My opinion is that when sites are clearly under the same control, then Google treats interlinking very much like they would treat internal links on one domain. In other words, such links are a little help but certainly not the same as a freely given "editorial" link from a clearly independent domain. It's almost as if (not exactly, but almost) the two domains get combined into one big site.

This can mean the fates of the two are now quite interlinked. Spammy actions for one domain can affect the other, and so can the strengths.

[silverbytes]

All right. Are domains registered by same owner detected by Google, right? If we talk about 2 of your sites interlinked, I assume Google knows all the time those domains are related based on registrar info, regarless site A deeplink site B.

So: Are fates interlinked?
If those 2 domains are yours, yes, ok.

But if anysite (from other people) deeplinks you?...

If this last answer is: fates interlinked too has no sense. That way any site may spam whatever.

[Lord Majestic]

I can't say what exactly Google does in this case, but I can say confidently that such linking schemes are detected 100% with extreme ease - there are very little overheads and such A <-> B intersite linking is definately checked for each site. So, the question what would they do it - probably discount those links or devalue in some way. The improtant thing is that A <-> B linking relationship is trivial to detect.

[silverbytes]

Sure it is. But do we assume is non beneficial for any of parts?

Tedster don't agree that

Spammy actions for one domain can affect the other, and so can the strengths.

Can the strenghts?

[potentialgeek]

I like the idea Tedster is presenting. Even though I haven't tested it, it is very reasonable. It allows webmasters with decent sites to link to their other related sites without penalty.

It fits Matt Cutts' earlier comment(s) that you could do this and wouldn't be penalized if done in moderation, i.e., no excesses like spam.

After all, only one link to another site you own with related content is providing a benefit to the user, which is Google's bottom-line goal, "the user experience."

Some of my sites have one-way links and others have reciprocal links. But only one per site. I don't see and don't expect penalties. I can't see any logic for deep or shallow linking to make any difference. The issue is frequency (including footer links on every single page to related sites).

It is natural to expect webmasters to build related sites because of their personal skills and experience. It is also natural because they are similar for them to link them to each other.

Further, there are companies which own more than one website, e.g., print magazines by one publisher. I see them linked together in footer links and don't know that they suffer any penalties. There is no indication the interlinking is to game the Google system.

p/g

[Simsi]

Tedtser

...if Google didn't know before that these two domains are related - that is, under some form of common control or association

One of my main concerns about using WMT - you basically "associate" all your domains for them and remove any possible inter-linking value.

I long for the day when linking isn't an algo factor. It may have been a great idea in the 90's, but you have to question the relevance of any factor that can be so easily "gamed" in 2008.

[edited by: Simsi at 4:43 pm (utc) on Aug. 16, 2008]

[Lord Majestic]

I long for the day when linking isn't an algo factor

That won't happen - don't even hope. Linking comes into play when there are just too many matches so you have to discriminate against them using some objective algorithm. There will only be more data on the web, so number of matches for any query will only increase and therefore linking will play even bigger role.

[tedster]

While I certainly don't know my idea is 100% accurate, I got the imporession from working with several clients who operate groups of domain, each on focusing on a unique aspect of their business.

For example, one client of 10 years now operates 19 domains. Common ownership is completely above board - identical Whois information, and all IPs are on one of two class-C blocks. These sites cross-link in many ways but not "all-to-all", except for the original, core domain.

Instead they form natural link clusters where the topical areas are closest - very appropriate for the end user. There is a good bit of deeplinking, and some linking sitewide in the template (even the footer), but nothing as systematic as the OP asks about. I think anything that smells like programmatic cross-linking would send an obvious and dangerous spam-like signal.

At any rate, the only thing I've seen in years is that a new deep link, even with anchor text, seems to have less pop than it used to. But there's no hint of a problem or penalty.

I have seen companies get many or all of their domains into trouble when they try too hard to use their own properties to boost each other in the SERPs.

[silverbytes]

How do actually interlink your sites? (I mean your sites that shares same activity ie: education, travel, whatever)

A - Do you put a modest unique link in respective homes?

B - Do you link from several pages (ie: footer or left
column text link) but always to other site's homepage?

C - Do you link from several pages to most important pages even if those are internal pages in the other site - what we may perhaps call thematic deeplinking -

D - Other (please explain)

[tedster]

I interlink as I feel is appropriate for the visitor. Sometimes it's in a content area, sometimes in a "related information" box on a page, sometimes on a "related websites" page -- and very rarely it's even run-of-site in the page template.

That's the best strategy - serve the visitor and have no strategy at all with any goal of ranking improvements. Just let different domains grow their own link pop and backlink profile naturally.

Google will take some information from those links in related-by-owner domains as they see fit, and that will shift one way or the other, over time. Just don't depend on it in your SEO strategy at all.