number of sites i can interlink without penalty

[union_jack]

I have 100 sites, all specfic to certain us cities. I am struggling to get enough quality links to move my rankings. Would it be possibble to break them into group and interlink with in their group, by creating pages relative to each location add a link to the specfic location, not by a traditional links page. Would this work if so how many sites can i safely link together, i must stress that i do not want to cheat just do all i can legal to improve my rankings.

[siteseo]

You won't be penalized for interlinking your sites, but if all your sites share an IP address (all on the same hosted server) the links won't have as much value. My reco would be to figure out a rational linking strategy wherein each site links to 2 or 3 other RELATED sites. This makes sense and is good for your web visitors as well. It will take some work on your part to develop a linking strategy like this, but it's worth it.

[webnewton]

This is an sensitive issue. This will definately work but there is a possibility that it might go aginst you resulting in penalisation of your site. Take care of the following things:
1) I.P's of the interlinking site shoudnt' be same(first three octet). Take care of Hiltop algo.
2) Also try to get diffrent hosts for you sites.
3)Link exchange outside of your group will also require some care. Don't link all your site on an outside site.
4) The best way to going about this would be-
a) Identify the most important site of your group(based on search results, their existing positions or whatever criteria you find best)
b)Provide links from your group of sites to these few sites but don't reciprocate the link back.
c)Try to provide diffrent treatment to these sites. Also do some directory listing for them or paid linking.
d)For the rest of the site do a careful reciprocal linking (keeping in mind the I.P's, hosting, subject and linking relation identification)

This is the best way to utilize your group.

[union_jack]

Thanks webnewtown,

Can i clarify if i pick 25 sites all on diffent ips take 6 main sites have the rest link to those 6, so each of my six main site gets 19 links, make sure that there is no pattern on my external links from other sites on all 25 sites. Also would it be okay to break down the final 19 sites and interlink them in groups of 4. My competion who all interlink like mad have pr5/6 in the main for search terms with over 600,000 results. Will this linking stragey work if on top of all the above i can get 10 unique links to all 25 sites.

Sorry if all thats a bit confusing.

[webnewton]

Sounds cool. Anyways competiton of 600000 is nothing, you can easily break through the top 5.All the best.

[glengara]

*how many sites can i safely link together...... to improve my rankings.*

As that constitutes a "links scheme designed to improve PR or ranking", the correct answer is......0. ;-)

[union_jack]

I do total agree with your point, and i have been working very hard trying to exchange links with sites that are reelavnt to my field, all my sites are city specific so i have been exchanging links with restaurants, schools, community websites all relevant to the particular location. Unfortunately there are only a limted number of sites to exchange with. Allmy compiterors interlink like crazy, i do not and will not but have a least little chance of making a living i have to look at ways to improve my ranking without bending the rules too far. I hope you understand i am not trying to be black hat.

[glengara]

As the operative word was "safely", and with all the goings on in linkage, today's bent rule can all to easily becomes tomorrow's broken one.

[union_jack]

I have just recieved a phone call from some high up in the online world who bascially told me that the guys he has working for him inter link there sites and are number 1 for massive keywords and always will be and google spiders cant tell they interlink because they have the technology to fool the spiders. I have to ask myself

A/ Is this true
B/ How do they do it. I cant see it in there html
C/ Why do i get penalized for linking a few sites, i am not clever enough to develop this technology so am i wasting my time.

I have to say this guy has become i good friend of mine, he oly works for this comany and it would be more than his jobs worth to tell me. I do belive he does not talk crap and is telling the truth

[randle]

We link a bit on the heavy side and have always been fine with Google. However, Yahoo has absolutely zero tolerance for it. Be extremely careful if you have placements there you value.

[glengara]

IMO most drop in rankings with G are due to linkage factors, and again IMO it's a cumulative thing rather than any particular single factor.

One day you're sitting pretty with your cross/interlinked network, next day you decide to buy some links and Wham! your linkage pattern has crossed the line....

As to your mate, buy him a few beers and see what might be revealed.... ;-)

[brizad]

I can give you an example from my industry...

For my main money phrase we went between position 3-7 for about 2 years. One of our competitiors all of a sudded popped up to #1 from nowhere and they stayed there for 2 whole years. They never moved once.

They had split up their one large site into about 30 different sites/domains all heavily interlinked. 95% of the backlinks that they had were from their own sites. To any human it was obvious what they were doing but G never caught on....until last week. Now they are on page 7.

I have to admit that it was frustrating knowing what they were doing and it was tempting to do the same. But now that I see them all the way down on page 7, I feel a bit of poetic justice. We also dropped from 7 to 12 in the last shakeup, but that is a far cry better than page 7.

So....interlinking sites can still be a good idea but you have to be smart about it like the above posts say. Googlebot is getting smarter every day.

[nuevojefe]

As to your mate, buy him a few beers and see what might be revealed.... ;-)

With the type of info he seems to be giving out i'd say it's worth putting some good hard liquor in him.

[webnewton]

Send me a bottle of JOHNNY WALKER! Let me see if i could help you!
;>)