Is It Smart To Place The Design Company Name & Link on Every Page of Your Site?

[morestar]

So we've all seen this for years and will see this for years to come - that being, the company that designs a client's site, adds their web design company name and link into the footer of every page of the site they developed...

My question to everyone is this:

Would is be better and if so in which way, to have a simple, keyword optimized blurb about the web design firm with a link to their site simply on the contact us page of the site they developed - seo wise? To be more clear, on the clients contact page, they would have all their contacts etc. and have a little blurbed under the title "Website Administration Contact" or something to that effect.

Would that do more seo wise than having links to the design firms page on every page of your site?

In my opinion, if I create a site which sells books about dating advice, why would I want to give my PR juice to a web design firm? especially when the content of each site is totally un-related?

Or do you think it's just fine and make no difference if each and every page of your site has a footer link, linking to the web design firms site?

:confused:

[janeth]

I don't think the web design company has the right to put their name on the website. They have been paid to do a job, not advertise their own business.

[morestar]

Ya, i second the motion...

The design firm was paid to create a web site for the company but not paste their name on it, especially in the footer of every page...

But what if the company says it's ok to place a little blurb on their contact page? do you think that's ok Janeth? and do you think it does more or less seo wise than being placed in the footer?

[janeth]

Ya, i second the motion...

The design firm was paid to create a web site for the company but not paste their name on it, especially in the footer of every page...

But what if the company says it's ok to place a little blurb on their contact page? do you think that's ok Janeth? and do you think it does more or less seo wise than being placed in the footer?

I've seen a lot of people say that sitewide links are discounted and maybe they are, however, I’ve competed in many markets with sites that were (are) buying site wide links and they seem to count.

They are hell to compete against.

But I also believe that Google is sophisticated enough that they don’t use the same ranking algo for every keyword.

I’d have to go with it all depends.

IMHO

[morestar]

But I also believe that Google is sophisticated enough that they don’t use the same ranking algo for every keyword.


and with that, i have a small feeling that a blurb on one page of the client's site, in paragraph form might count more - especially with a proper keyworded title (h1) like web design firm contact info or something to that effect...

[BoothWizard]

I agree with janeth that a design or seo company gets paid for their work and their name and link should be on the customer's website, unless the customer really wants it there.
Most people say that site wide links are ignored which I agree with. They also say they can't "hurt" you, which I don't agree with. I think search engines will count one or two links from a site. I also think too many links (i.e site wide) looks artificial, and can have a negative effect. It doesn't matter if that is right or wrong or fair or unfair, I just think that's the way it is these days.
So to answer the original question, it is not smart to put your link on every page of a different site.

[morestar]

well we might be talking about different things here...

are site wide footer links to a 'web developers' site in the footer of 30 websites created by them the same as sitewide links on say Web Pro World (our signatures)...

I'm wondering if there could be different factors built into Google's algo that would determine this as I'm sure Google can tell if the site is a forum or a limo service website.

[danlefree]

You might ask FoundByDesign what he's doing - I seem to recall that he was using keywords in his Website Designer's Credit Link (http://www.webproworld.com/search-engine-optimization-forum/89213-website-designers-credit-link.html).

I'm with Janeth and BoothWizard on the question of whether to deploy the links, myself - if you really must add some link back to your site, go the high road and include an image with your design company logo and keywords in the alt and title text for the link and image after getting the permission of your client (and explaining what you are doing).

Tell your client they can pay an additional fee if they're not willing to help you advertise.

Whatever you do, don't try to deceive your client by telling them "everyone does it" (no, many do not, actually) or discounting the fact that the activity benefits you without providing any benefit to your client.

Also, adding a block of text and links for your design firm (and for a few other sites you've worked on, while you're at it) would be a little much. A novice webmaster might assume that your client's site had been hacked and used for spam...

[BoothWizard]

There is a difference between "site wide" links which are at the bottom of every page on a website and "signature" links that are on the posts you make, but only on the posts you make and not on every page of a website. I don't think signature links count much either... and to be honest, I am just guessing. :) I do agree that the google algo is very, very smart.

[scgalvin]

Yah, I think is kinda lame when web designers places there link on a clients website. Contractors don't paint their name on the side of your house.

With that said...knowing the importance of links in placing on search engines, I can understand why designers do it.

[morestar]

Contractors don't paint their name on the side of your house.

LOL Ya...good point...

[confettiguru]

You guys made me smile. It's like the Car Dealer who puts his name and Phone number in huge font on the license plate frame which he gives you ABSOLTUTELY FREE. I decline but see ton's of those out on the roads
I ask my clients for a link, they almost always say yes.
However new sites don't have any page rank so I'm not sure it really does anything.
When I help a client with SEO, I offer a discount if they're willing to give me a link.
I'm good at what I do and they are ususally very appreciative and want to make me happy.
I think I'm going to start asking for my name on the side of their house!!!! Hey anybody have a license frame website LOL

[morestar]

You guys made me smile. It's like the Car Dealer who puts his name and Phone number in huge font on the license plate frame which he gives you ABSOLTUTELY FREE. I decline but see ton's of those out on the roads

haha i worked at a car dealership in my teens and was amazed at all the people driving their brand new cars off the lot with a dealership sticker almost permanently (seriously) plastered on their rear end...

lol they don't come off without scratching the paint - hmmm....

:-?

[deepsand]

Assuming that it's done with the client's knowledge and consent, no harm can come of such.

And, while the link juice may be of little to no value, it is free advertising, advertising that just might yield a worthwhile new client.

[junosama]

Well normally people do a footer link but footer links dont usually count for much anymore and google tends not to index pages or give weight to pages like about or contact us since they are not important content wise.

Maybe a blog post or new post saying thank you for the design with a link back to the studio or a link surrounded by a sentence somewhere besides the footer.

[dmwcons]

Well normally people do a footer link but footer links dont usually count for much anymore and google tends not to index pages or give weight to pages like about or contact us since they are not important content wise.

Some sites that I visit have information on their about page that is important to me. So why would Google choose not to give credence to such pages? And how does Google know that a particular page is an about page?

[Peter]

I dislike the practice, the designers can easily put a meta tag in if they must brandish there name about.

Regarding the car stickers, the last few cars ive had I had told them not to put any dealer markings on the car at all, including window stickers, unless they are prepared to pay me for advertsing. What is really annoying in the UK though is that is now a legal requirement to have the spam of who made the number plate on it.

[ronchalice]

Just to play devil's advocate, what is the difference between subtle designer branding on a website and a designer's manufacturer's logo on anything else you buy? I have to look at the manufacturer's logo every time I look at my monitor, my television, drive my car, pull on a polo shirt... ad nauseum.

[morestar]

We're creating the pop can and coke adds their logo to it...and they're selling coke...

[james113]

1. Your question should be phrased like this Is It Smart To Place The Design Company Name & Link on Every Page of Your Clients Site?

2. From a business prospective, any link anywhere on a Clients website that might divert a prospects attention from the clients website is a risk. I do not recommend this to anyone that I develop a website for. Some clients have suggested it just because they are greatful, but I refuse and explain why. I want the Clients website to do the best that it can for my clients business.. Client satisfaction and job security go hand in hand.

3. Depending on how your web design/development contract is written, adding your link to your clients website may not be allowed. Some clients have even tried to use their permissions for "referral links" as a bartering tool to try and get a cheaper price on my services. If the web page that the link is on has page rank, it does pass juice to your website, so there is definite SEO value in doing it.

However, I know for a fact that signature links on forums produce no noticable help to website rankings for sure, so there is a chance that multiple links from the same website are valued differently possibly even de-valued if there are too many.



Yah, I think is kinda lame when web designers places there link on a clients website. Contractors don't paint their name on the side of your house.



Actually a lot of contractors do put advertising signs in the yards while they are working and some will even leave the sign for a period of time after the job is done:)

[Doc]

Good post, James! I agree, and I like the attitude, that it is the client's site, and all benefit should be directed to them. As for whether it would do any good to the designer, I would guess probably so, if a user were to click on it.

Actually, I have seen page designs that I was impressed with, and clicked on the web designer's logo to check them out. I even hired one that way once. Seems to me that it is a less common practice these days...at least I haven't noticed as many designers' links.

[james113]

Thanks Doc,

There is no doubt that the links have promotional value, but I have found that the best form of promotion is word of mouth, hands down. The average user or customer that uses a site is not in the market to hire a web designer, so the traffic coming from those links are not usually going to hire you anyway. In my experience, business owners tend to associate with other business owners in their personal lives a lot, so in most cases the client will talk to twice as many prospective website owners in a week than the average referral link on a clients site will bring in a year, unless of course, the client is selling their products or services mainly to other businesses.

Another reason you have noticed a decline in designer links is the fact that more and more businesses are designing their own sites in-house thanks to cookie cutter website publishing software like Wordpress.

[Doc]

Thanks Doc,

There is no doubt that the links have promotional value, but I have found that the best form of promotion is word of mouth, hands down. The average user or customer that uses a site is not in the market to hire a web designer, so the traffic coming from those links are not usually going to hire you anyway. In my experience, business owners tend to associate with other business owners in their personal lives a lot, so in most cases the client will talk to twice as many prospective website owners in a week than the average referral link on a clients site will bring in a year, unless of course, the client is selling their products or services mainly to other businesses.

Another reason you have noticed a decline in designer links is the fact that more and more businesses are designing their own sites in-house thanks to cookie cutter website publishing software like Wordpress.


As an after-thought, when I was tasked with finding a designer for the company's new web presence several years ago, I did a little surfing, and took note of some really well designed sites (although, in those days, I didn't really understand much about web design... I was reviewing them in more of a marketing sense). Two different sites that I was very impressed with, gave no clue as to the designer, so I contacted them. In one instance, I emailed the webmaster, and he pretty much blew me off, with a few nasty comments about the designer. On another, I contacted the president of the company, and he bent over backward to get me the information, contacted the designer to pass my contact info along, then followed up with me, to make sure we had been able to connect. I figured after doing such a great job for the company, it would be nice for the company to hear it from someone else. Designers like being stroked now & then, too. ;)

[BoothWizard]

Yah, I think is kinda lame when web designers places there link on a clients website. Contractors don't paint their name on the side of your house.



Painters aren't supposed to do this?? What the heck! Now you tell me. I've got to find the number of the guy that painted my house last year! Oh wait, it's on the side of my house. That makes it easy!

:D

[darren13]

If you're a builder, you have a billboard outside a property while building there.
If you're a build web sites, why not have a link to your web design business from the sites you have created with the client's approval. It's a very, very, very small fraction of the area of that site. If the available real estate was much smaller - say a print job of business cards, then putting the printer's details on a business card just doesn't make sense - and I think common sense should prevail.

Most web designers would presumably have a portfolio page with their client's details also. Reciprocation?

I would say it's up to the individual client and the web design company to agree. There is no moral or ethical debate here, it's business.

Darren

[Doc]

If you're a builder, you have a billboard outside a property while building there.
If you're a build web sites, why not have a link to your web design business from the sites you have created with the client's approval. It's a very, very, very small fraction of the area of that site. If the available real estate was much smaller - say a print job of business cards, then putting the printer's details on a business card just doesn't make sense - and I think common sense should prevail.

Most web designers would presumably have a portfolio page with their client's details also. Reciprocation?

I would say it's up to the individual client and the web design company to agree. There is no moral or ethical debate here, it's business.

Darren


I would agree that it's business, and that it's up to the designer and the client. But a builder wouldn't install a permanent sign, to remain after the tenant takes occupancy, and he certainly wouldn't do it without permission. I have to believe that an awful lot of designers just do so by default, without consulting the client.

[scgalvin]

I would agree that it's business, and that it's up to the designer and the client. But a builder wouldn't install a permanent sign, to remain after the tenant takes occupancy, and he certainly wouldn't do it without permission. I have to believe that an awful lot of designers just do so by default, without consulting the client.

Wow, you typed exactly what I was just think.

[ogletreeseo]

I have seen companies that do SEO and Design use footer links on client sites and rank very well for the terms they want to because of it. I have also known designers to hide links on client sites. There will always be people that put links on sites they don't own that they have been trusted with log in info. Most the time people don't ask they just do it. Most companies don't know it is there nor do they care.

[weegillis]

If your site forbids robots, leave all the links you want. That's what I do. It's the only OBL issue on my sites.

[darren13]

Just re-read the original post -

Can't see any question about permission, but I assume that is asked for as a given. And I didn't realise we were talking about putting links on sites you were entrusted with? Obviously that's not right - sounds like graffitti to me lol!
Whether you put it on every page or contact or any other combination, again = >client/supplier agreement.

And no, a builder probably wouldn't leave a permanent sign on a building, but then, uh-oh, a Ford vehicle just drove past the window, and a Nissan, and a Jeep, and what's this Dell label on my pc screen, and Logitech on my speakers, Seiko on my watch and Nokia on my mobile (cell phone to all you guys over the pond).....! ;-)

Different strokes, different folks I suppose!

[Bernd]

If you get the clients permission, link to your company from the imprint but not from every site.

[morestar]

And no, a builder probably wouldn't leave a permanent sign on a building, but then, uh-oh, a Ford vehicle just drove past the window, and a Nissan, and a Jeep, and what's this Dell label on my pc screen, and Logitech on my speakers, Seiko on my watch and Nokia on my mobile (cell phone to all you guys over the pond).....! ;-)


but remember the designers of your mobile haven't put their logo all over it. i don't even think there's a mention of them is there?

[innominds]

I'm also of the same opinion that web design company should not use the client's website for advertising purpose.