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Backlink link text

by HelenaB
2 replies
  • SEO
    • |
Morning guys.

Got a new client for whom I'm building a new site and doing some SEO for too along the way. They're in a competitive niche and are nowhere to be found within search engine results for their preferred keyword.

Basically at the start of a long campaign to improve things for them.

The vast majority of their current backlinks are via a forum signature on a forum related to their niche. Well over 1000.

The only problem is that the link text used was something along the lines of "visit my website". Not particularly useful.

In theory I could ask them to change the sig link text to include either their company name or their keywords.

But I'm a little worried that Google may think they're buying links if over 1000 keyword-rich links suddenly appear....

Am I better off leaving it as it is or risk it and change the link text?

Thanks in advance.
#backlink #link #text
  • Profile picture of the author Pyramid Linkers
    You are better off leaving it as is. The forum links will still have an SEO effect and will help vary your backlink profile with unrelated anchor text.

    You have to ask yourself, if you made the change, what would be the upside? Could you rank your own site in a competitive niche with 1,000 signatures? Probably not.

    Compare that to the downside - getting your client penalized and having to explain to them why your SEO strategies aren't working. The negatives out way the positives on this one.

    If this is a client's project, you really don't want to risk it.
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    • Profile picture of the author HelenaB
      Originally Posted by Pyramid Linkers View Post

      You are better off leaving it as is. The forum links will still have an SEO effect and will help vary your backlink profile with unrelated anchor text.

      You have to ask yourself, if you made the change, what would be the upside? Could you rank your own site in a competitive niche with 1,000 signatures? Probably not.

      Compare that to the downside - getting your client penalized and having to explain to them why your SEO strategies aren't working. The negatives out way the positives on this one.

      If this is a client's project, you really don't want to risk it.
      Hi - thanks for confirming this. I did think that on balance I'd be better off leaving them alone but definitely worth checking!
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