Limiting 'sponsored link' detection

[wheel]

If you're designing a site that accepts sponsorship (where the sponsorship is not for the link), and you want to avoid automated detection methods for devaluing sponsored links, how would you do so?

i.e.
Sponsors' page:
company A (links to page A)
company B (links to page B)

Page A:
content on company A, with link to company A.

Page B:
content on company B, with link to company B.

I guess one might remove the words 'sponsor' at a minimum (and replace it with what?). Any other thoughts? Is this perhaps just a myth anyway?

[martinibuster]

(and replace it with what?)

A related keyword phrase, then let it rank in the SERPs?

[LifeinAsia]

If the sponsorship is not for the link, why should they care if the link is devalued?

[wheel]

Rhetorical question. If the sponsorship is not for the link, then why should the link be devalued?

It's Google's job to devalue links, not mine. And of course the link does have value. So as a good webmaster I expect to take steps to ensure that this value is maintained for the sponsors.

[LifeinAsia]

If the sponsorship is not for the link, then why should the link be devalued?

Irrelevant. The focus is the sponsorship, not the link juice.

Of course the link has value. But that's not what is being bought (sponsored). Any value from the link is incidental to the sponsorship.

Google is not preventing anyone from following the link to the sponsor's site. The visitors still flow, even if juice doesn't. Visitors still see the sponsor's name.

I can understand your wanting to "add value" to the sponsorship by providing something above and beyond what they are buying. But too much obsessing can be harmful. Not just for your mental health, but by Google figuring out that you are trying to "deceive" their algo.