Is product reviews safe as a link building tactic? Not if the links are followed. If you offer influencers products for review in exchange for links, the links must be nofollow. Additionally, the influencer has to disclose the paid relationship as well (an FTC requirement as well). According to Google, “Links that pass PageRank in […]

Depending on how they are implemented, interstitials for app installs can lead to a search penalty. This particular targeting is part of the mobile-friendly algorithm used by Google: “Starting today [Nov 2, 2015], pages with an app install interstitial that hide a significant amount of content on the transition from the search result page won’t […]

Yes, intrusive interstitials for mobile searches can have a negative impact on your search engine rankings. On January 10, 2017, Google announced that is taking action against websites that displayed intrusive interstitials: “Starting today, pages where content is not easily accessible to a user on the transition from the mobile search results may not rank […]

Yes, if you force followed links in third-party agreements and Google finds out, you will end up with a penalty. According to Google: The following are examples of link schemes which can negatively impact a site’s ranking in search results: […] Requiring a link as part of a Terms of Service, contract, or similar arrangement […]

Are widgets links a ranking factor? Yes, just like any other backlinks, widget links can influence your site rankings. If you’re syndicating widgets that link back to your website using keyword-rich anchors, you’re at risk of getting a manual penalty. According to Google: “some widgets add links to a site that a webmaster did not […]