Does keeping a directory clean matter to you?

When I hear the words "bad neighbourhood" there are three things it makes me think of:

1. A network of nepotistic, overly crosslinked sites. It's interesting that no-one has mentioned this, since I think this definition is important to search engines.

2. Links to malware and viruses. It's increasingly important to weed these out.

3. Dodgy themes.

Another thing to look out for is dead links, because these can be snapped up and changed into one of the above very quickly.

Linking out to malware can definitely hurt your traffic. As for the rest of it, it all depends, but in theory at least there's no reason why search engines can't count all sorts of thing against you: nepotistic links, 404s, unrelated themes, and so on.

So my linking policies are a mixture of personal taste and ethics, and enlightened self-interest.

 

I am agree with you silencer....

 

Another thing to look out for when it comes to keeping your directory clean is bogus online degree sites. Check that they're accredited before you approve them, because they're another type of website that can taint you by association.