More than one links to the same page.

[napoleon_bona_part_2]

Links from homepage to internal pages causes PR drain. So I think it's advisable not to link too many pages from the homepage. But if homepage has more than one links, say 5, to an internal page, will the links be counted as 5 or just one, since the linked page is the same?
Thanks in advance!

[ihelpyou]

One I think, but that is something you don't have to concern yourself with. Post your links on the page the way it benefits your visitors and your ROI.

[napoleon_bona_part_2]

Thanks for the prompt replies, Doug!
In fact, I have a long list of categories at the home page that actually link to internal pages of the site. A number of links are obviously causing PR drainage, so I planned to create a couple of sub-domains and link all the categories (list of links) to those vanity domains. But the number of links at the homepage will still remain the same, though they will poin to just two pages. If all the links pointing to same page/domain are counted as one, then perhaps I can evade PR drain this way. What do you think?
The list of links I'm talking about was added some 15 days ago, and since the PR is nowadays calculated on the fly, our PR droped by 1. But the categories (links) at the homepage can't be removed, I was thinking of some alternative. Will this idea (all links to two sub-domains) click?
Thanks!

[qwerty]

What you're suggesting, if I understand you correctly, would require an extra click for users to get to a given page. If that's the case, you need to think about whether the PR of your home page is more important than the people (probably a fairly low number) who will leave the site because you're requiring extra action on their part.

[Bernard]

PR means way, way less than useability.

[del]

I think the confusion is caused by the fact that napoleon is under the impression that linking from the front page of your site to many other internal pages is a PR drain, directly removing PR from the front page.

This is not really the case napoleon, if you have each page that is linked to from your front page link back to the front page.

This is usually acheived simply by having a menu item for the front page, and your logo being a link to the front page and both these are standard features of all sites.

This way any potential PR that has been passed to another page is returned to the front page.

Just make sure your linking structure isn't 'one way' - away from your front page, because PR does count for something (although not a lot, one factor in around a hundred I'm led to believe!)


Listen to Bob, Bernard and Doug, they know what they're talking about - PR is something you should not obsessing about, especially if it is something that you would consider changing the entire structure and usability of your site over!

Concentrate on your site from a visitor point of view first - usability helps translate visitors into sales (or repeat visitors, or whatever you are looking for).

Make sure you have good (and relevant!) outside links, trying to place the keyphrases used in the page linked to in the text of the link.

Put the right keyphrases for the target market of your product in all the right places on your pages - title, headers, copy.

Use only one or two different keyphrases for each page of your site.


Just ignore PR and treat the value shown on the Google toolbar as just a nice decoration to your browser, and of no real value to you or your visitors, and you'll be far better of. :)


Cheers,

Del.

[ihelpyou]

Nice post del! :thumb:

[del]

Cheers. ;)

[NovaW]

napoleon - this was discussed in the other thread. Read the posts above carefully.

You are off-track obsessing over exotic strategies to prevent "PR drain" - what you'll end up with is a site that drives people away because it's too hard to use and not a single extra visitor coming from Google for your efforts. This stuff is really not important from a Google perspective & very important from a usability perspective. Don't let google block out the big picture.

Every moment you spend worrying about that subject is a moment wasted - just make your internal links what benefits your visitors, have a site map & link back to your home page from each page.

[projectphp]

napoleon_bona_part_2, SEO isn't a "tricking" game anymore. Do what feels right, do what you believe is right, and all will flow on from there. All your strategies are short term. Build for next decade, not next week. Think how building content and being somewhere people want to go will help you to rank better naturally, and how many people will link to you because they like what you do.

You are looking for solutions to the short term problem of not ranking very well today. But who cares if you rank better tomorrow, if you don't stay there? Rankings come and rankings go, but a long term dedication to being the best, and having the best site, will pay far better dividends than will the re-arranging of links to conserve PR.

And when tomorrow comes, (and it will), how will PageRank tricks and clever strategies help your site, your visitors or, most importantly, your money making potential? Ten extra pages, an article that is published far and wide or a dedicated focus on server your current visitors will be much more effective in securing your long term future than ranking number one today.

The only way to have a truly successful site is to be as build a site that is as you can be, not to one that is as tricky or "clever" as it can be. Ideally, you want users to remember your URL or bookmark your site.

How did you get to is forum? I have it bookmarked. I don't search for it. That is the position that you want to be in long term., That is far better than being number one on any Search Engine.

[ihelpyou]

Oh shoot, I simply go to Google and type 'ihelpyou' into the search box, and this place pops up. :D

[projectphp]

I bet that really increases your SE traffic a lot, what with the ammount you post here!!!!

:)

[napoleon_bona_part_2]

:o: Oh God!:o: Seems I irritated all of you with repetitive 'PR Drain' question. Oops! And it called for a 'collective effort' to kick this pr obsession out of my mind. But now you can be sure, you people have really enlightened this novice.

In fact, when I used to analyse the reasons for not too good ranking of my site, I used to think- may be the site lacks in optimization, or may be it's the pr problem. I wasn't quite sure, and I could concentrate more on optimization only when I was sure that it's certainly not a pr problem. That's why I this pr factor was so overbearing.

And though the pr still remains the same, I know ( I swear , I do) that it's optimization that my site lacks in. You people have really made me realize what counts more. And believe me, I'm no more obsessed with that pr thing.

And I must say, this forum is great. You people could have left me struggling with my pr illusion, but you really took pains to show me the real picture! Thanks a lot to all of you! :scattered

[NovaW]

there was nothing irritating about your questions :)

I think everybody at some stage or another has obsessed over some aspect of Google - it's normal :)

[del]

Not at all irritating, napoleon, we just know where you're coming from - as novaw says, we've all been there before!


Cheers,

Del.

[ihelpyou]

Yes, and some of us have taken medication for the pr sickness. Not me of course, but some of us have. :D

[TiMoGo]

Where do I get that medication?

While my site is doing great, and my PR actually went up, the medication just sounds like a fun thing for the weekend.

Man I miss high school! :thebomb:

[luvdavy]

Originally posted by ihelpyou
Oh shoot, I simply go to Google and type 'ihelpyou' into the search box, and this place pops up. :D

I don't have to even do that. I signed up for some kind of "SEO Support Forums Newsletter" that comes from "Ivan" or somebody....LOL...I don't remember how or where I found it. Anyway, I get a digest about twice a day with every single post on this forum. The newsletter seems to only focus on your forum, Doug....and I love it because it has the highlights of all the topics and I can scan through them every day by just clicking on the links.

I get the Search Engine Watch newsletter too, but "Ivan's" is the better one...haha.

Jan

[ihelpyou]

LOL. Who is Ivan? He must be a member in here. Remember to thank him for me. :)

[TiMoGo]

OK... it is just getting a little deep in here now. Where are my boots? :thebomb:

[luvdavy]

Originally posted by htigar
OK... it is just getting a little deep in here now. Where are my boots? :thebomb:

Ok...what am I missing. And who IS Ivan?????

Jan