42244

econsultancy_xml

These external links would be extremely valuable from a trusted site such as the BBC, but it isn't passing on any of that value to the sites it is linking to. For example, in the link to Oxfam on the right of this <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7705419.stm">news article</a>, instead of leading users to <a href="http://www.oxfam.org.uk/">http://www.oxfam.org.uk/</a>, readers are directed to <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/relintlink/UKFS+News+v3/ext/-/http://www.oxfam.org.uk">http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/relintlink/UKFS+News+v3/ext/-/http://www.oxfam.org.uk</a>. As Patrick points out, this redirect is unlikely to pass on any PageRank to the Oxfam website. This is especially ironic given the recent <a href="http://www.journalism.co.uk/2/articles/532694.php">comments</a> by the corporation's Pete Clifton that the BBC needs to link out and act as more of a guide to the web. As well as passing on PageRank, the BBC should be giving more prominence to its links - most of them are hidden on the right of the page and often hidden below the fold where they can easily be missed. It should be linking from within the text of articles, which is much more relevant and useful for readers. It did <a href="/blog/2703-bbc-finally-experiments-with-in-text-links">experiment with in-text links </a>in August, but overcomplicated the process and seems to have stopped doing this, at least for the moment. According to a <a href="http://www.seoco.co.uk/blog/2008/07/16/how-good-is-the-mainstream-media-at-linking-out/">recent study of outbound links </a>from the mainstream media, the BBC is not alone in being stingy with its link juice. While commercial publishers can perhaps be forgiven for being cautious about linking to rivals the BBC, as a publically funded organisation, has no such justification. What's more, the same study also showed that outbound links can benefit publishers by <a href="/blog/2627-mainstream-media-benefits-from-outbound-links-study">increasing the number of internal links</a>. See me on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/gcharlton"> here </a> . Related articles: <a href="/blog/2319-bbc-website-revamp-continues">BBC website revamp continues</a>

<FormattedContent xmlns="http://www.e-consultancy.com/schema/formattedContent/"> <Paragraph>These external links would be extremely valuable from a trusted site such as the BBC, but it isn't passing on any of that value to the sites it is linking to.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>For example, in the link to Oxfam on the right of this <Link URL="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7705419.stm" Window="Self">news article</Link>, instead of leading users to <Link URL="http://www.oxfam.org.uk/" Window="Self">http://www.oxfam.org.uk/</Link>, readers are directed to <Link URL="http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/relintlink/UKFS+News+v3/ext/-/http://www.oxfam.org.uk" Window="Self">http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/relintlink/UKFS+News+v3/ext/-/http://www.oxfam.org.uk</Link>.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>As Patrick points out, this redirect is unlikely to pass on any PageRank to the Oxfam website.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>This is especially ironic given the recent <Link URL="http://www.journalism.co.uk/2/articles/532694.php" Window="Self">comments</Link> by the corporation's Pete Clifton that the BBC needs to link out and act as more of a guide to the web.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>As well as passing on PageRank, the BBC should be giving more prominence to its links - most of them are hidden on the right of the page and often hidden below the fold where they can easily be missed.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>It should be linking from within the text of articles, which is much more relevant and useful for readers. It did <Link URL="/blog/2703-bbc-finally-experiments-with-in-text-links" Window="Self">experiment with in-text links </Link>in August, but overcomplicated the process and seems to have stopped doing this, at least for the moment.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>According to a <Link URL="http://www.seoco.co.uk/blog/2008/07/16/how-good-is-the-mainstream-media-at-linking-out/" Window="Self">recent study of outbound links </Link>from the mainstream media, the BBC is not alone in being stingy with its link juice. While commercial publishers can perhaps be forgiven for being cautious about linking to rivals the BBC, as a publically funded organisation, has no such justification.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>What's more, the same study also showed that outbound links can benefit publishers by <Link URL="/blog/2627-mainstream-media-benefits-from-outbound-links-study" Window="Self">increasing the number of internal links</Link>.</Paragraph> <Paragraph> <Emphasis>See me on Twitter </Emphasis> <Link URL="http://twitter.com/gcharlton" Window="Self"> <Emphasis>here</Emphasis> </Link> <Emphasis>.</Emphasis> </Paragraph> <Paragraph> <Emphasis>Related articles:<LineBreak /></Emphasis> <Link URL="/blog/2319-bbc-website-revamp-continues" Window="Self">BBC website revamp continues</Link> </Paragraph> </FormattedContent>

2008-11-03T14:58:00+00:00

econsultancy_xml

The BBC just can't get its external links policy right, it seems, and is now denying external websites valuable link juice by the way it links out. <a href="http://www.blogstorm.co.uk/greedy-bbc-blocks-external-links/1478/">Patrick at Blogstorm</a> has noticed that the site's external links, normally displayed to the right of its articles, are being passed through redirect scripts.

<FormattedContent xmlns="http://www.e-consultancy.com/schema/formattedContent/"> <Paragraph> <Emphasis>The BBC just can't get its external links policy right, it seems, and is now denying external websites valuable link juice by the way it links out. </Emphasis> </Paragraph> <Paragraph> <Link URL="http://www.blogstorm.co.uk/greedy-bbc-blocks-external-links/1478/" Window="Self">Patrick at Blogstorm</Link> has noticed that the site's external links, normally displayed to the right of its articles, are being passed through redirect scripts.</Paragraph> </FormattedContent>

false 2934

366647

BBC not passing on link juice? false

2008-11-04T09:30:00+00:00

bbc-not-passing-on-link-juice

2009-04-29T20:38:43+01:00

1602