Multiple inbound links from the same Class-C?

I know that obtaining multiple links from the same class-C IP address is generally considered a 'no-no.' That being said, I read earlier today (http://www.seroundtable.com/archives/013543.html) about how it's not necessarily only the Class C that's important.

I ask because I'm doing an SEO for a client, let's call them, "American Widgets Inc." and I found a network of sites that has the domains OklahomaWidgets.com, TexasWidgets.com, etc. and I'd like each one to link to our corresponding AmericanWidgets.com/Texas/ directory (and so forth).

Some of these sites also rank for the various state-keyword widget searches as well (ie - 'Texas Widgets'), so I know they'll pass some value but I'm curious as to whether they will ALL pass value.

Each link will have unique anchor text, a unique URL it is pointing to, and be on a different domain, but there are only 3-5 different IPs for all 50 sites.

Does anyone have any experience/thoughts regarding this type of situation?

EDIT: My client's site has a fairly strong domain and Google presence, so I'm not worried about being penalized so much as I am about wasting money buying links that won't pass value.

 

Those domains having a common Class C IP address is not necessarily a red flag, ESPECIALLY if they are hosted by an 3rd party hosting company like GoDaddy or HostGator which commonly offers shared hosting. The chances that 2 or 3 sites about a common topic might be hosted on the same IP naturally "in the wild" are pretty good. I think Google would have expected this to be the case and planned appropriately.

But if they also share common registration data like the same registrant name and/or the same registrant address and/or the same registrant email and/or the same registrant phone number, etc. and they are all linking to your client sites then this could possibly be a red flag to Google that those sites might in fact be a link farm.


When I'm faced with decisions like this one, I always ask myself, "If I were reported and a Googler were to manually review those links, would it be obvious to the Googler that having my client's links on those other sites' pages adds value to the linking sites' visitors?" or "If asked by a Googler, could the owner of the other sites give a plausible reason why those links to your client's site adds value to their visitors?"

If the answer to those questions is yes then the fact that as a side effect of improving those sites' users experience it ALSO provides your client with better rankings in the SERPs is totally irrelevant. It is ONLY a violation of Google to have links from other sites if their SOLE purpose of those links is to manipulate your rankings in the SERPs.

Of course, if they can somehow prove that the other sites sold the links then the others sites will almost surely be penalized. Typically they don't penalize the buyer directly because they can't prove that it wasn't a competitor who bought the links and had them pointed at your site so they could report you and get you in trouble. Google penalizes you indirectly be devaluing all outbound links on the seller's URL or maybe even their entire site. You continue to pay for the links and don't realize they are passing you no "juice".


I know that's not a yes/no answer... but this is a judgement call you have to make because you (or your client) have to live with the consequences.

 

Hm, this was an interesting way of thinking about links that I'm sure I thought of before, but just forgot in the quest for SERPs. I feel comfortable that the answer can be a 'yes' for both questions. Thanks.