If your website was designed by someone else other than you, and their link to credit their work is at the bottom of your site, are they stealing your link juice?
Some of the SEO consultants out there will flat out say yes.
However- it is not true…
…unless you are not putting your own site link at the bottom as well. It is not illegal, not frowned upon by Google, and usually is something agreed upon between the client and the web designer. It does give your web designer some link juice and some help. While it can be seen as advertising, like said before, it is a choice between the web designer and the client. The client can always remove it later or request their designer to do it for them.
To Improve Your Footer:
- You SHOULD have a link to your site at the bottom for your home page, just like the top of your site.
- You SHOULD even have the simple javascript hyperlink to allow your visitors to jump to the top of your page lickity-split.
- You MIGHT want to make sure your web designer’s link is not bigger than your site name at the bottom of the site and is not before that link.
- You SHOULD make sure your website designer has made sure that your site has valid coding, both XHTML or CSS.
- You MIGHT consider if you are hesitant about having the link in the footer: a) make a blog post and mention the designer, b) add them to your blog roll, or c) make sure the keywords used (if the designer uses them instead of their business/ website’s name) does not conflict with what you are trying to optimize on your own site.
Most web designers who still put the link at the bottom of their work normally try to ask clients if it is okay. While in the late 1990s and earlier 2000s, it was fairly common to see this practice, it is not as prevalent. Link juice is link juice however you give it: in a post, in your sidebar, on a static page, in the footer, or even author credit in the meta or style sheet.
Will leaving the credit link to the web designer have a negative impact on your rank?
NO, unless their site has already been tagged as spam, or removed from the search engines (blacklisted).
Optimization started with the website owner’s basic layout and the content. It goes with putting your keywords in the titles, making sure titles are the right headings are being used, images labeled properly, and much more.
Do only cheap web designers put links at the bottom of their client sites to get link juice or as some say- Google juice?
No, all types of web designers and developer of all price ranges practice this. Now, not all web designers do, but it is not just the beginners who charge barely enough that put a link on their design work.
One link to a web designer to give them credit is NOT going to ruin it all! The funny thing is that in a lot of cases, the client gets a return link from the designer’s portfolio, so it ends up being good for both parties.
I think that search engines like Google are capable of detecting that the link you're providing to your web designer is is the footer, so i hope they'll not penalize you even if the target website is blacklisted. After all we should at least give credit to the person who has taken time and effort to develop it. If you're too skeptic about this subject, i think you should put a NoFollow tag to the link so Google will not follow it.
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I did a lot of reading on SEO and I think they are getting VERY little link juice. I think footer links are pretty much discredited by google now.
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Great idea about creating a link back to the theme designer. Depending on the designer, this might be acceptable. I didn't want to clear up something you said though. Linking to a domain that has been identified as being spam or low quality will absolutely hurt rankings, not only in PR but also domain authority. Always be careful about who you are linking to.
I never though about credits to the web designer stealing juice from my site. In fact, I've always thought that it would cool to give credit to the creator of the site which would help both you and the designer. Interesting read.
I see nothing wrong with having a link to the company/ designer of your website – it's good for both parties
Good points, all. If the link isn't too obnoxious and you have your own down there, then why not link to the designer? If one outbound link is going to bring down your keyword positions, you really need better SEO!
On the other hand, designers, SEOs or others who put a link on and refuse to change it if asked are a whole other issue.
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I have a link on my footer's site to the platform that I'm using for e-commerce and the web designer I bought my template from. I never think that it could harm my site rank and it doen't make sense to me.
I believe WordPress footer link has lots of advantages on terms of SEO. Website designer link can be removed if the designer allows so. Its also very easy to put a NoFollow tag to designer link so Google will not follow it or you will avoid giving any link juice away.
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great post really knowledgeable
I have made a WordPress theme downloaded by about 22000, but I don’t see any Seo value from the footer links. Themes downloaded from WordPress.com are gpl licenced. This mean you can remove the footer link, but most keep it to give credit to the work of the theme designer..Have you dropped the commentluv here? I just featured the site in a commentluv feed on my site. I have to remove it if you decide not to use commentluv anymore..
I don't see any harm if the designer puts his reference or links at the bottom of the page….this can be beneficial for both the parties
I don't think its a best practice, but certainly it's not something that will make or break your site. The bigger problem I have with it is that I paid them to do my site, not to advertise on my site. Everyone is different, but I don't pay my mechanic to put his business card on my trunk, and I don't pay my barber to write his name on my neck. Good work and good service will get far more recommendations from me than a footer link.
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It's not a big deal. One link won't really hurt your link juice. If you are concerned about it, just place a "no-follow" tag next to the hyperlink and that's it. Or better yet, ask your webmaster to place a link to your site in his/her site. This is a win/win strategy!!!
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Although I consider it as advertising, I think it’s a very valid link to the web designer and I think of as natural as possible, however, depends on the agreement that is between the designer and administrator, as a good option can be let by time.
Regards
one of my friend told me that when u use ready to made themes, some of them could steal or they have their own links ready to go… but as u said its not like stealing link juice from my site. I’m a bit confuse about it but atleast now I understand a little about it..
I though this ideas about creating a link back to the theme designer is great.
Totally agreed with you. Nice case study on designers.