Obtaining Links Where Website Is Mentioned

[junior]

If a website mentions a company on their site, whether it be a review of the company or a news article on the company and it's activities. By law do they have to "when contacted and asked to do so" link to the company highlited in the article or would be it classed as more of a curtesy.

One of the clients I'm working for is mentioned in a great many places due to the business it is apart of and the projects it is undertaking. I just wanted to know where I stood on this matter before contacting these sites and asking them to link to my client.

Has anyone any idea where I stand on this.

Junior

[rogerd]

There's no legal requirement to turn a mention of a company into a hyperlink to that firm's web site - doing so would definitely be a courtesy!

[paynt]

junior, great question and really a wonderful opportunity for you to contact as a representative and suggest how much it would please the company you represent if the site would turn the reference into a link. Push it and let the know a text link (insert keywords) with the company name would really make them happy. Then offer them the link from the company site where you have linked to them. Maybe not in yours but I’m know others in that situation who had maybe an affiliate opportunity or something else to offer as well.

I would really approach it from the perspective that the company you represent is really happy the site in question mentioned them and you were taking this opportunity to thank them and then gee…here are these other things you thought of when you saw the mention. Take it from there.

I can’t remember now who mentioned something like this previously in almost passing and I thought it was a great tip. I’ll have to find that discussion and credit the poster because I thought then and I agree now that this is a great idea.

[junior]

Thanks.

If I remember correctly I think it was Susanne. That's where I got the idea anyway.

[chiyo]

Agree with Paynt great tip!

Hope the time never comes where mentioning a company means you have to link. Its a bit like when writing a book you have to put in microsofts postal addess whenever you refer to them! I wouldnt out anything past certain lawyers (lawman excepted of course)

We often mention company names or websites where there is no way we will link to them, or even put a plain nonlinked url in. We do all of the above, but it is a plain URL policy on what gets linked, what doesnt, and what just gets their URL but unlinked. I dont think its a discourtesy at all.

[paynt]

[webmasterworld.com...] Thanks junior, credit where credit is due. You have a keen memory there junior.