Over 40 Questions to Ask a Search Engine Optmization Company Before You Hire Them

[Steve]

You almost written all the questions that needs to be asked and I also enjoyed other members added their view on it. After reading this whole thread I would like to add one question in this list that "What are you going to need from me to be successful?" because without getting full support from client's end it is not completely possible for one to make your site successful.

[Glen Lawrence]

So let me get this straight... more unique domains linking to one page = good, but more links from any single domain = better? I've also been of the belief that only one link per domain counts.

[claybutler]

So let me get this straight... more unique domains linking to one page = good, but more links from any single domain = better? I've also been of the belief that only one link per domain counts.

No, the discussion was about unique IPs. Some feel that links must come from unique IPs to carry any weight, which is clearly not true. I use my own blog, hosted on the same domain, to boost ranking of other pages on my own site. If that can work it's obvious that linking from different domains on a shared IP account will accomplish the same thing.

[deepsand]

So let me get this straight... more unique domains linking to one page = good, but more links from any single domain = better? I've also been of the belief that only one link per domain counts.

The only such limitation is in regards to PageRank, where only the first of multiple links targeting the same page counts.

[Glen Lawrence]

But what I want to know is, do more links from the same IP give more benefits? Also, do hosted blogs (myblog.blogspot.com, myblog.wordpress.com) count as unique domains?

[claybutler]

The only such limitation is in regards to PageRank, where only the first of multiple links targeting the same page counts.

I don't think that's true. Let's say a page has ten outbound links on it. All the target pages get 1/10th of the link juice from that page. A page that gets two of those links should get 2/10ths. I don't see why one would be discounted, nor do I see how Google could even decide which one is the one to drop considering they both probably have different anchor text.

[claybutler]

But what I want to know is, do more links from the same IP give more benefits? Also, do hosted blogs (myblog.blogspot.com, myblog.wordpress.com) count as unique domains?

Yes. IP doesn't matter. In a typical shared hosting environment you could easily have 500 domains with the same IP. An each one of these domains can have a different owner and a completeley different business model. Most website don't have a unique IP as most domains are on shared hosting environments. And yes, myblog.blogspot.com, myblog.wordpress.com are unique domains.

[deepsand]

I don't think that's true. Let's say a page has ten outbound links on it. All the target pages get 1/10th of the link juice from that page. A page that gets two of those links should get 2/10ths. I don't see why one would be discounted, nor do I see how Google could even decide which one is the one to drop considering they both probably have different anchor text.

Matt Cutts quite awhile back announced a modification to the way the PR was allocated, etal., so that now:

• The source page's PR is first divided equally among all links, without regard to the target URL or the presence/absence of "nofollow;"
• Of multiple links pointing to the same URL, all but one, along with their shares of PR, are discarded; and,
• All "nofollow" links, along with their shares of PR, are discarded.

The purpose of this was to nullify the practice of "PR sculpting." The result, of course, is that some of a page's available PR may go unused.

Various 3rd party tests, using different anchor text on multiple OBLs pointing to the same target URL, have found that it is the first such link that is indexed. Those same tests also determined that, even if such 1st link bears "nofollow," if its target URL was previously indexed, it too is indexed.

[claybutler]

Matt Cutts quite awhile back announced a modification to the way the PR was allocated, etal., so that now:

• The source page's PR is first divided equally among all links, without regard to the target URL or the presence/absence of "nofollow;"
• Of multiple links pointing to the same URL, all but one, along with their shares of PR, are discarded; and,
• All "nofollow" links, along with their shares of PR, are discarded.

The purpose of this was to nullify the practice of "PR sculpting." The result, of course, is that some of a page's available PR may go unused.

Various 3rd party tests, using different anchor text on multiple OBLs pointing to the same target URL, have found that it is the first such link that is indexed. Those same tests also determined that, even if such 1st link bears "nofollow," if its target URL was previously indexed, it too is indexed.

Hmmm. I stand corrected. However, do you know what he means by first indexed. Is it literally the first to be crawled? First on page? So if the first link indexed is "nofollow" it won't credit that to your one link limit and take the first "follow" link instead. Correct?

[deepsand]

Hmmm. I stand corrected. However, do you know what he means by first indexed. Is it literally the first to be crawled? First on page?

Not sure as to who the "he" is that you refer to, or the statement of "his" you mean; but, in my post, I meant "first on page."

So if the first link indexed is "nofollow" it won't credit that to your one link limit and take the first "follow" link instead. Correct?

Nope. The discarding of "nofollow" links is in regards to PR only; all but the first on page of multiple links pointing to same target are discarded without regard to "nofollow."

If one has multiple links on a page pointing to the same target URL, only the first one has its anchor text potentially indexed, even if it's a "nofollow" link. Any subsequent links on the page pointing to that same target are ignored.