Is this a link farm?

[TLDTrader.com]

http://www.linkstoyou.com

My main linking partner suddenly put up this link on his home page. Seems he's a member of this scheme. I said "main linking partner" because we're on an "all-page" reciprocal link exchange. I have his text link on all my pages and so does he.

I'm concerned because I know that search engines don't like link farms. If he gets penalized, will my site be affected?

Thanks.

[mcdar]

I think that the way that link farms hurt you is as if your placement in the serps is highly dependent on the links you acquire from them.

If Google decides to devalue the links from there, your site loses the value of those links, thus your ranking drops.

It is more like a collapsing structure. Anything supported by that structure will also fall.

On a side note: Since your site has many links from that one site and most of your links come from a few sites (many links to few sites ratio) did you notice any recent changes in your placement in the serps?

Also, how old is your website and the Backlinks?

If you don't mind me asking.

Caryl

[dazzlindonna]

If memory serves me correct, linkstoyou is a link farm that google is well aware of.

[Old Welsh Guy]

Hi Caryl,

I know you didn't ask me directly but if it helps with research then great. I have one site that has links to it minly from a couple of forums, as I really only have it there as a must for clients to see. I don't promote it as I have no need to promote the business.

It slid on a few words during the recent update, the ones it slid on were the ones that contained the anchor text including a word that also appears in the domain name (not sub file, the actual domain name. As this is the legal name of the company there is not a lot to do :-)

If you want specifics, PM me and I will give you the stats and details.

OWG

[expat]

Well it's been out for a long time and I have avoided it as it's a con for 7search.com - trying to sell you an account and give you something for searches from your site.

I would calssify it as a ffa - lf
500 - links for nothing ..... PR0 on such pages always tells a story....

It should not immediately affect you if it affects your partner first.
M

[mcdar]

linkstoyou does seem to be a banned site in Google!

Site: search = 0
Link: search = 0
PR = 0

Site created on 08-Dec-1998

[hurricane_sh]

I don't exchange links with websites which use linktoyou.

[mcdar]

I just did a search on Google for @linkstoyou.com and it returned 7,070 pages with that currently link to that site.

I went to a number of those sites and found many with decent PR.

So, it dosn't appear that they were banned along with "the farm"

[TLDTrader.com]

On a side note: Since your site has many links from that one site and most of your links come from a few sites (many links to few sites ratio) did you notice any recent changes in your placement in the serps?

Also, how old is your website and the Backlinks?

If you don't mind me asking.

Caryl

Using your tool, site is #18 for allinachor. It shows 33 backlinks in google and 66 in Yahoo. This site is only a couple of months old. Home page went from PR0 to PR4 last June 1 update, then to PR6 last June 22. Internal pages(which are as old as the index) received their PR5. Improvement in SERP is negligible.

The linkstoyou link is fairly new I think. Didn't notice it before.

Thanks.

[expat]

It's been out there for quite a while

Updated Date: 08-nov-2003
Creation Date: 08-dec-1998
Expiration Date: 07-dec-2004

The problem is one doesn't really know where links may end up.

M

[mcdar]

Using your tool, site is #18 for allinachor. It shows 33 backlinks in google and 66 in Yahoo. This site is only a couple of months old. Home page went from PR0 to PR4 last June 1 update, then to PR6 last June 22. Internal pages(which are as old as the index) received their PR5. Improvement in SERP is negligible.

The linkstoyou link is fairly new I think. Didn't notice it before.

Thanks.

Thank you for the info., TLD!

[TLDTrader.com]

It's been out there for quite a while

Updated Date: 08-nov-2003
Creation Date: 08-dec-1998
Expiration Date: 07-dec-2004

The problem is one doesn't really know where links may end up.

M

I meant that the "linkstoyou" text link at my "partner" site is new. So it seems he just subscribed to the scheme recently.

Thanks.

mcdar, you're welcome. Do you think I should terminate my link exchange agreement with the site participating in the "linkstoyou" scheme?

[TLDTrader.com]

Caryl, sent PM. Thanks.

[mddv]

I have used linksforyou before and I think they did have a influence a pr4 for my previouse site but not sure. I'am getting keen on seeing if links for you actually works. I am thinking of making a website and not advertise the page only add it to linksforyou and see what the results will be.

I will let you guys know what happens.