I keep hearing that cross-linking your own websites can get you penalized.... however, almost all of my competitors do it -- and are @ the tops of the search engines. Basically, here's whats going on: I have a 1) Boston Real Estate website (main site) 2) Boston Lofts website 3) Boston Real Estate Blog website All were registered through GoDaddy, and are on the same server, same name, same everything --- and I would like to have them link to eachother. Here are some examples of my competitors: Example #1 Take this guy for instance: Bushari.com He comes up #3 for the kw Boston Real Estate He also has another loft website called "BostonianLofts.com" --- which comes up #4 for "Boston Lofts". Both cross-link to eachother, and I checked the whois info -- they're both on the same name Ok, now here's the biggest example: Example #2 Bostonpads.com BackBaypads.com Cambridgepads.com Northendpads.com SouthEndApartments.com Southendpads.com Everettpads.com Medfordpads.com SouthBostonApartments.com Fenwaypads.com AND MANY MORE All of these are apartment websites neighborhood specific in Boston.... all cross-link to eachother.... same exact template, and CHEESEY.............. however, each site comes up #1 for "Back Bay Apartments" "Fenway Apartments" "South End Apartments" etc. I checked the whois info --- all registered by the same person Do you guys think I should go ahead and cross-link my pages as planned? Anyone have any experience on this?? THANKS!!!
content should be unique. you can cross link, i dont think is a problem. just make your content on every web fresh and unique from others.
I looked at the first of your examples and the owner is cross linking quite a few sites and blogs etc, but here is the key. They are all related to each other. The thing which Google doesnt like is when you cross link a network of web sites which have no relevance to each other, it is clear your links are for manipulating the SERP's and or gaining PR. So in your case, your web sites are related so I don't think Google would have a problem with it. Ultimately by cross linking your sites your actually improving them for the end users who visit by providing relevant information. And as Google says, build your sites for your visitors not the search engines.
I do it all the time, for my own site, there are no way not do it, read google webmaster guide, it just said not buy links, and not get link from non-related place, that's all.
All my blogs are linked to each other and i have no problem. Problem comes only when you duplicate the content accross the sites.
Google doesn't give much importance to unrelated cross linked sites hosted on the same server, imo. Sites of similar niches when linked and hosted on different servers get their due importance.
Agreed this way we can actually improve the rankings...as we are providing more information to the user.
I don't think there's a problem over there. First of all, if it's in the same niche then cross linking each other will not get you penalized in any way. It's doesn't look like you are manipulating for PR purposes. However, maybe a better way is to host the rest of the domain elsewhere and then cross link to each other. Nothing wrong with that.
i've just experienced Google's wrath... probably because of cross linking http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=919638 it's not the nicest things, but i learned my lesson....
Google's algorithm places a lot of weight on unbiased votes (links) to a site. 1. A site owner linking to his own sites are not unbiased votes. 2. Reciprocal links are not unbiased. 3. Google assumes links from the same class "C" IP share common ownership. As a registrar they can also check whois data on ownership. 4. If you are running google analytics or the same adsense publisher ID they will also know these sites are related. There is nothing wrong with cross linking your sites IF there is a genuine benefit to the visitor i.e. sites are related and meant for traffic. These links will not help you with SERPS and will not pass PR. If you are linking a bunch of your sites to try and gain backlinks, rankings or PR, you run the risk of being flagged as a link farm and getting a penalty. There is no penalty if you are just linking related sites to get a visitor from your site "A" to site "B" or "C" - but only do it for traffic. Doing it to try and manipulate rankings is asking for trouble and a potential penalty.
i have 2 blogs interlinked with each other there is no problem at all 1 more thing check for your sites they are paid or parked free i think it does meter but not sure
I see cross-linking all the time. Never questioned it. I know of several one page (ahem) websites that are nothing but links and cross links. I always thought they were related in some way.
I keep seeing people say theyve been penalized from cross-linking, etc. ... i could have sworn I read somewhere that matt cutts has mentioned this, and to use the nofollow..... im going to look for the article!