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Do Twitter Shortened URLs (t.co) Still Count As Backlinks?

by AceOfShirts
27 replies
  • SEO
    • |
I've searched Google and can't find a real answer.

I know Twitter changed recently and now the tweet shows the actual URL it is linked to, but when you mouseover the link the t.co shows up in the browser bar.

I know Twitter has security and other reasons for doing this.

Does anyone know if they count as backlinks?
#backlinks #count #shortened #tco #twitter #urls
  • Profile picture of the author DarioMontesdeOca
    I'd like to know the answer as well so I'm subscribing to this thread, theoretically if the link gets indexed in Google or other search engines it will count as a backlink.

    Would love to hear what others think about this.
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    • Profile picture of the author JoeyXoto
      Originally Posted by DarioMontesdeOca View Post

      I'd like to know the answer as well so I'm subscribing to this thread, theoretically if the link gets indexed in Google or other search engines it will count as a backlink.

      Would love to hear what others think about this.
      Haha we must of left our comment at the exact same time! lol. Yeah defo would like to hear other peoples thoughts.
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      • Profile picture of the author DarioMontesdeOca
        Originally Posted by JoeyXoto View Post

        Haha we must of left our comment at the exact same time! lol. Yeah defo would like to hear other peoples thoughts.
        No kidding!
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  • Profile picture of the author JoeyXoto
    It should still count as a backlink as Google would still measure that as a link coming from Twitter to your website. Don't quote me on that, but I don't see how Google wouldn't count that as a backlink.

    Backlinks are incoming links to a website or web page; so whatever that URL says on twitter, it's still a link to your site, right?

    Anybody else have a thought on this? I'm intrigued.
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  • Profile picture of the author icoachu
    No, they are no follow. Use http://goo.gl/ instead for better SEO benefit
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    • Profile picture of the author JoeyXoto
      Originally Posted by icoachu View Post

      No, they are no follow. Use http://goo.gl/ instead for better SEO benefit
      Always learn something new here everyday! Thanks for clearing that up!
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    • Profile picture of the author AceOfShirts
      Originally Posted by icoachu View Post

      No, they are no follow. Use http://goo.gl/ instead for better SEO benefit
      Just tried this. The goo.gl shows up in the tweet instead of the domain name and the t.co still shows up on the mouseover. But putting the link through Google will probably help. The domain name is the Twitter account name.
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    • Profile picture of the author WraithSarko
      Originally Posted by icoachu View Post

      No, they are no follow. Use http://goo.gl/ instead for better SEO benefit
      since when does nofollow not count as a backlink?
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      • Profile picture of the author scsheldon33
        Originally Posted by WraithSarko View Post

        since when does nofollow not count as a backlink?
        I wish this debate could be settled once and for all. As far as I know, no follow counts on your backlink profile because Google will see it as a natural backlink progression to your website. So, while no follow links may not be credited as a real backlink, Google still counts in the larger scheme of things.

        Is my understanding correct? Experts, please chime in
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        • Profile picture of the author DarioMontesdeOca
          Originally Posted by scsheldon33 View Post

          I wish this debate could be settled once and for all. As far as I know, no follow counts on your backlink profile because Google will see it as a natural backlink progression to your website. So, while no follow links may not be credited as a real backlink, Google still counts in the larger scheme of things.

          Is my understanding correct? Experts, please chime in
          Absolutely right, I've gained page one rankings in the past with nothing BUT nofollow backlinks so I know Google includes them as a verifiable backlink
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  • Profile picture of the author zdan06
    As far as my idea is concern, no... they won't count as backlink. Shortening url's uses script that block some functions of driving traffic and backlinks. If in case it will be counted, it is not for your own site, it is for the site that shortened your url.
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  • Profile picture of the author UMS
    A backlink is a backlink whether it is nofollow or not.

    In the case of using a goo.gl link in a Tweet, what actually happens, is that the t.co link will do a meta refresh to the goo.gl link, then a 301 permanent redirect to the actual link.

    This is more obvious if you try the following link http://t.co/V9mkj4WG (which just points to warriorforum.com) into Redirect Detective - A Free Tool To Trace Where Redirects End Up
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    • Profile picture of the author paulgl
      Originally Posted by UMS View Post

      A backlink is a backlink whether it is nofollow or not.

      In the case of using a goo.gl link in a Tweet, what actually happens, is that the t.co link will do a meta refresh to the goo.gl link, then a 301 permanent redirect to the actual link.
      Twitter was tired of giving bit.ly business...

      Virtually all redirection/shortener services that are worth anything, like t.co,
      do indeed make it a 301. So in short, it's a link to the
      page that it's being forwarded to. Now not all of these services do that,
      but I can't think of a name brand one that doesn't. Smaller ones that want
      some sort of payoff for themselves may not.

      Twitter nofollow links are one of the best nofollow backlinks that can
      matter. Emphasis on "can," not will.

      Paul
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  • Profile picture of the author UMS
    The interesting thing about t.co links is that if you access them via a web browser, the redirect is issued via a meta refresh (which is generally treated as a 302 temporary redirect).

    However, if the t.co link is access via a bot/spider, the redirect is a 301 permanent redirect.

    Not sure why Twitter make that distinction.
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  • Profile picture of the author Sarevok
    In my opinion, no, shortened URLs don't provide any valuable SEO juice.

    I'm not an SEO guru by any stretch, but since the source code does not include your original URL, I would imagine the benefits are minimal.

    Maybe some SEO algorithms actually look at the encoded links, but I don't believe that to be the case.

    Any professional SEO hosses can prove me wrong, and I'll eat my shorts, however.
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  • Profile picture of the author fmac
    There link but no follow links. Only good for direct traffic really
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    • Profile picture of the author ebasa
      This is a really interesting topic. I'm using Twitter a lot recently, but I'm having all of my url's shortened. I'm reading a lot about 301 and redirects, but I'm confused at some of the verbage getting tossed around.

      Is there a thread or website that explains these shortened links and 301's in more detail?

      After reading this whole thread I'm still confused on whether a shortened link counts as a backlink...
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  • Profile picture of the author Moriarty
    Let's tidy one thing up. Backlinks are sorted and used by algorithms. Discovering how an algorithm analyzes all the data the bots bring in is not something that is easy to do.

    So what is? Well, think about why you are using Twitter. Sure, for backlinks. What about all the traffic you get from it ... the visitors, the ready-primed interested people who take a stroll, sign up to an email - and buy.

    Because that's what this is all about really. Isn't it?

    Traffic coming through a shortened backlink - if a backlink can be shortened or not - is still traffic. Still humans, not bots. Coz bots don't buy. Boys do.

    Okay, and girls too. But not bots.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ephrils
    Twitter links are NO FOLLOW and the t.co I believe are 301 redirects, so if they did count them the bots would check the end site and not the t.co address.

    I try to keep my domains unconverted to the t.co shortlinks by making the web addresses as small as possible. You could probably use your own in-house URL shortener if you're worried about losing backlinks too.
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  • Profile picture of the author PerformanceMan
    Go ahead and Tweet your way to the top of a competitive SERP.

    Go ahead....I'll wait
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  • Profile picture of the author Karan Rawat
    I think Twitter Shortened URLs (t.co) Still Count As Backlinks. Bcse i am in top of SERP's
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    • Profile picture of the author Kenank
      Originally Posted by Karan Rawat View Post

      I think Twitter Shortened URLs (t.co) Still Count As Backlinks. Bcse i am in top of SERP's
      You are not at top of SERPS
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  • Profile picture of the author Ben Acharyaa
    yes it does count as a backlink but not worth a dime in terms of seo. twitter/facebook are good for traffic. good luck to anyone trying to outrank any competition with twitter links/tweets.
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  • Profile picture of the author kingsweb
    I don't know about twitter but I found Google shortner urls consider as a backlink in my Google Webmaster Tool
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