How many backlinks are "safe"

**JayFCF** · 11-03-08

Hi all,

I just wondered what the "norm" is when submitting sites to directories to get a one way back link?

I have a list of well over 3000 directories I can submit to but many are unrelated to my site. Will it still be a valid backlink if I include my keywords in the anchor even though its frtom an unrelated site?

Cheers

**james2002** · 12-03-08

It is better if you got backlinks from the subdirectory which is related to yours.

**bills2big.com** · 12-03-08

Too many links to quickly will harm your site.

**gadget** · 12-03-08

I think the recommended number is 15-20 backlinks per month.

**JayFCF** · 12-03-08

Originally Posted by gadget

I think the recommended number is 15-20 backlinks per month.

20 a month? That'll keep me busy for the next 14 years lol

**Top banana** · 12-03-08

I think the recommended number is 15-20 backlinks per month

", complete rubbish.

How do you explain sites which have millions of backlinks? For example, Wikipedia has (5,128,374) backlinks according to yahoo site explorer.

Based on the top of end of your "safe" estimate it would have taken wikipedia 21,368 years to build their backlinks.

Wikipedia was created in 2001 (not sure of the month, so i will use Jan for this example), that means on average they have gain 58,946 backlinks per month since launch.

There is no safe level of backlinks per month, it varies on which sector you are in, what is the natural link growth for good sites in your sector, how old your site is, etc, etc.

My best advice is that if the links are natural you will be very, very unlucky to build links too quickly, and secondly dont add your site to 3,000 directories!

**channel5** · 12-03-08

If it was only safe to add a small number of links per month then I could easily get my competitors penalised by building links to them (and lets face it it's possible to offshore very cheap link building).

Backlinks will not hurt you, some may have a relevence approaching zero, or be completely devalued, but the fact they are there won't hurt.

**Underpressure** · 12-03-08

Interesting.
What if you post about 10 a day would that be OK?

**channel5** · 12-03-08

10 a day won't hurt you, 100 a day won't, I wouldn't worry about it.

**smingle** · 12-03-08

Originally Posted by channel5

10 a day won't hurt you, 100 a day won't, I wouldn't worry about it.

Stupidest advice ever !!!

If it was as easy as that, I would post 1000 links a day for "loans" and be number 1 on google for the phrase !!!

Some people need to to think before they post !!!

Gocompare gets banned by Google | Hi-Tech-It Technology Blog

**mtuffin** · 12-03-08

Originally Posted by smingle

Stupidest advice ever !!!

If it was as easy as that, I would post 1000 links a day for "loans" and be number 1 on google for the phrase !!!

Some people need to to think before they post !!!

Gocompare gets banned by Google | Hi-Tech-It Technology Blog

I think what you need to consider here is are those links, and specifically the anchor text going to get you noticed by the big brother element of google or any other search engine.

I've run directory submission software on a few of my domains and got a pagerank3 site from directory submissions alone. I currently have about 600 links indexed by Yahoo of the 1000 I submitted in the space of an hour about 6 months ago. So 1000 links created today won't always be seen by the search engines that quickly - especially when it comes to directories.

This vastly differs from me sticking 1000 links to www.mycrappyloansite.com with the term loans as the anchor text because it will appear as if I am link buying. I'd imagine if you went through a manual google review nothing would happen because your doing nothing wrong.

1000 links in the footers of pages along with another bunch of unrelated links however probably will get you noticed.

**channel5** · 12-03-08

Originally Posted by smingle

Stupidest advice ever !!!

If it was as easy as that, I would post 1000 links a day for "loans" and be number 1 on google for the phrase !!!

Some people need to to think before they post !!!

Gocompare gets banned by Google | Hi-Tech-It Technology Blog

I beg to differ.

Gocompare were penalised for buying links, not gaining links, and they were made an example of. I do not condone purchasing or selling links for the purposes of SERPS manipulation.

Gaining backlinks from free directories and the such like (or other organic or potentially organic methods) will not get you penalised. I have safely added thousands of backlinks a month to my sites, and yes.. i do rank for some tasty keywords.

If it was easy enough to penalise a site by gaining it too many backlinks i'd be knocking my competitors out with backlinks!

To tell people that there is a fixed limit to how quickly you can gain links is stupid.

**channel5** · 12-03-08

Totally agree, good examples.

Originally Posted by mtuffin

I think what you need to consider here is are those links, and specifically the anchor text going to get you noticed by the big brother element of google or any other search engine.

I've run directory submission software on a few of my domains and got a pagerank3 site from directory submissions alone. I currently have about 600 links indexed by Yahoo of the 1000 I submitted in the space of an hour about 6 months ago. So 1000 links created today won't always be seen by the search engines that quickly - especially when it comes to directories.

This vastly differs from me sticking 1000 links to www.mycrappyloansite.com with the term loans as the anchor text because it will appear as if I am link buying. I'd imagine if you went through a manual google review nothing would happen because your doing nothing wrong.

1000 links in the footers of pages along with another bunch of unrelated links however probably will get you noticed.

**JayFCF** · 12-03-08

Originally Posted by mtuffin

I think what you need to consider here is are those links, and specifically the anchor text going to get you noticed by the big brother element of google or any other search engine.

I've run directory submission software on a few of my domains and got a pagerank3 site from directory submissions alone. I currently have about 600 links indexed by Yahoo of the 1000 I submitted in the space of an hour about 6 months ago.

Am I being cheeky in asking which software you use?

Cheers

**mtuffin** · 12-03-08

Originally Posted by JayFCF

Am I being cheeky in asking which software you use?

Cheers

I've used Digixmas (aff link). There's a free trial which lets you submit to 150 low quality directories to get the feel of the software. If you want the full version its $15 per site to start with but they offer better packages.