My fellow SEO Chick Anita, otherwise known as PPCQueen, suggested that I list out a few bits of linking etiquette since we’re all being overwhelmed with linking as an SEO strategy. After doing some searching and finding mostly the same thing being said everywhere, here are a few basic tips that might help.
1. Keep internal links opening in the same window. Set external links to open in a new window. Now, this topic was fairly hotly debated on a few forums, with most people preferring the method I have listed. Most people do expect an external link to open in a new window but since this seems to irritate some people, let’s open it up for discussion so we can see what our readers prefer.
2. Use your nofollows wisely. If you are linking to an external site and you don’t want to give your seal of approval to them, but you do want your users to go there for whatever reason, consider a nofollow. Just keep in mind that we all want a little link love.
3. If you have multiple blogs and you want to point your readers on one blog to a post on one of your other blogs, do so. Don’t fall into the habit of cross-linking your sites just to get some link points though. If it’s relevant, do it. Otherwise, think about it carefully and determine what you’re trying to gain.
These are just a few pointers when linking…we’d all love to hear more about this from our readers so please let us know if you have any good etiquette tips. If you’ve met any of the SEO Chicks, I am sure you’ll agree that etiquette is something we feel strongly about, particularly when drinking in public.
1) To be honest, It doesn’t really matter. If I am reading some content and there is an embedded link, I am going to open it in a new tab anyway. I like most people don’t like my reading flow disrupted. For the pre-tabbed-browsing users, I think a new window should be used for the same reason.
2) I think if you know how to nofollow links, you know when and when not to use it.
Additional tips, I find that linking to people that you meet at conferences extremely good form. Eventually, it all ends up reciprocal though
Finally, I think nofollowing comments is important sometimes too, especially if the comment is adding value to the post. ;P
Great blog guys, looking forward to reading more from you.
Thanks Julie – you’ve answered the biggest questions I had – especially the one about linking between your own blogs. I’m not about to use any of them to increase popularity (actually they’re all very new), but I really don’t want to cripple any of them because of linking practices that Google may misunderstand.
On the point of opening an external link in a new window – I agree that it makes sence – keep external links in new windos so as not to interrupt the current flow, and internal links in the same window – to minimise excess window accumulation.
Thanks to both of you for your points. Now I need to get back up from falling over in shock that anyone actually read my post.
Well of course Julie. Besides, you have your gender on your side
Can I suggest an email notification feature for comment replies?
[...] after Julie’s post on Linking Etiquette, I really had the ‘bee in my bonnet’ and went out looking for more… And I found a [...]
I tend to think that all links should open in the same window – people know how to use a back button anyway, and I seem to recall that it has implications in terms of accesibility (but finding the actual research would require more digging…
Good point Ciaran…hadn’t considered the accessibility aspect of this. It kind of seems like it’s really just a preference too. Some people like externals in a new window, some people hate that.
I’m relatively new to the whole SEO game, and I’m finding it extremely useful reading other articles. I deal with in-house SEO, link building is one of the main things I have to do, but I was never sure exactly how to do it (apart from leaving comments on blogs – but this is a valid comment).
I have been scouring through the internet to try and get a better idea of how I can perform a great link building campaign, so any guidance would be fantastic to hear.
While reading your article things do click in to place for me, I understand your point of keeping internal links in the same window and external in a new one – sort of establishes what type of link they are.
I haven’t dealt with ‘follow’ and ‘nofollow’ as yet but I am familiar with their uses.
As for blogging, I’ve created a few wordpress blogs, but it’s finding what people would find interesting is the hardest part, or for me writing something interesting at least! ha!
I’m at that stage where concepts and ideas are floating around in the air, slowly but surely things are falling in to place and I’m becoming familiar with terms and understanding them all. As with many articles I read, SEO is a game of patience, patience is a virtue, it will pay off if you keep at it!
Thanks Julie.
@Dave: it is insanely refreshing to see somsone admit to being new in the field. Seriously. We were all new once…please feel free to ask questions of any of us. We’ve been very lucky to have a LOT of newcomers on the blog who state that they love it because we don’t talk down to them, so keep reading! We’re glad to have you.