Outbound links

what is the best way to link

[klauslovgreen]

Hi,

I have read that Google is very keen on sites that links to relevant topical content on each page (I refer to articles in this case).

Does it make a difference if I link directly to the relevant site - or if I only have the URL in the anchor text but link actually goes to ad ad-serving program for counting purposes.

And suggestions?

Cheers
Klaus

[trillianjedi]

Hmmm.... tricky one - from your point of view I see the benefit in tracking, but from a users (and therefore google's) point of view an in context anchor text link wins hands down every time.

TJ

[klauslovgreen]

There seem to be pros and cons in everything regarding Google. If I link straight to the URL as you suggest - am I then not giving away some of my PR on that page to the relevant link? - or is that outweighted by the fact that we link to something relevant and the real link is in the URL as well as in the anchor text.

Does it make a difference if taget=_blank?

In other words - what gives us the most milage with regards to Google (as the experience is the same for the user as such) - only downside is that we can't measure the clicks.

Cheers
Klaus

[trillianjedi]

If google can register the link, then you "leak" PR whatever you do (although only really if you could have linked to a page on your own site).

But don't concentrate on that - google wants you to do what is good for users. And so do you.

TJ