2 replies to this topic

[Freshie]

Hi there, supposed you write your domain name in your signature in forums, is this spamming? Definitely a commercial link and not really allowed in most forums but if you continue using this, will you get penalized and even banned by search engines?

But what if you are using Google Ads?

Any thoughts appreciated. Thanks.

[Randy]

No, the engines won't penalize you for linking to your site in signatures of forum posts. They may or may not count them at all, and in some cases that's up to the forum operator. Here for instance forum signatures are not seen by the spiders because they crawl HRF as Guests. Only registered members who are signed in see signatures.

Now, as to whether it's spamming is open to the question of if you mean search engine spamming (it's not) or if it's forum spamming, where it depends. If you're making legitimate posts, being a helpful and contributing member of the forum then it's not forum spamming. If the only reason you're posting is to get your link into forum posts then it is. But that's a whole other subject.

By Google Ads are you referring to Adwords?

If so, Adwords is a completely separate animal from normal search engine rankings. Forum links will have no effect one way or another.

[Freshie]

Thanks Randy. You have been most helpful.

Am just glad I found this site!