(sorry for cross-posting: this is at SEO News as well because I really want all the input I can get – want to understand this)

This is a complicated matter because I know there is always this muffled suspicion that people are using forums to boost their inbound links through text link signatures. Well, maybe so. However, forums are highly important sources of info: all I learned about SEO and site promiting, I did at SE forums. And - surprise! - text link signatures DO show up at Google as inbound links.

But not all of them! Because of my professional activities, I am a moderator at two bodybuilding forums and one Physical Education forum. I also am a frequent poster in many similar forums around the world. I have configured my profiles to include, whenever possible, text links on my signatures. When I monitor my inbound links DIRECTLY AT GOOGLE (typing www.mywebsite.org), some of these signature text links show up but not others.

Serge suggested this could be related to the origin's PR (the PR of the site the post has been made to). No! Some posts from high ranked sites don't show up, while others from lower ranked sites do. Worse: some links show up SOMETIMES, but not always.

For example: SOME of my posts here show up, espcially when I mention the websites within the message text (let's test this issue: www.bodystuff.org ; www.bodybuilding-brasil.com ; www.ironpump.org - tomorrow I'll look them up), more than the signatures themselves.

So, guys, here is some food for thought! Sorry for the long post, but this is an interesting topic and I plan to start registering results, as I do with my stats - maybe someday I'll publish that!

Hi, Marilia.

Keep in mind that each forum is configured differently. For example, the Administrator of one forum may have set "no-follow" tags, so URLs (including those in signatures) will not yield any benefits in terms of raising YOUR site's PR.

On the other hand, the Administrator of another forum may NOT have set "no-follow" tags, so URLs in that forum will be seen by search engines.

The PR of a forum is irrelevant to whether a search engine can see URLs posted within that forum.

In general, I wouldn't use forums as a way to increase your site's PR. Contribute something useful, and enjoy the extra TRAFFIC you may get by having your site's URL in your signature, but don't use forums as a way to raise your site's PR.

Regards,


David

hi,

forums are not meant to increase your pr. because forums are knowledge based. this is true that it is helpful for traffic by through signature. the forums are the banks of knowledge so please dont abuse these forums with dirty intention.