using text links vs plain text for page value in SEO...

[spewn]

i have a website and on my main page i have some text. let's say i sell donuts:

here's a sample paragraph for my index.html page:

Welcome to Donuts-R-Us
Find all types of donuts, from bear claws to apple fritters and many more.

Would it be better in terms of search engine recognition/page value to make the "Welcome to Donut-R-Us" title a link, with the destination URL index.html (itself)...

or should i leave it as just text?

thanks.

- g

 

[ChrisHirst]

Just leave it as text.
While there may be some small benefit for ranking, The usability of the page will suffer.

Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Woo Hoo! the cobblers kids get new shoes.
People Counting Systems

So long, and thanks for all the fish.

 

[MamaLoca]

But let's say I use my ever favorite css to disquise the fact that it is a link, would the SEs pic up on that? That way it's not interfering with the users perseption that the link might be of importance thus causiing confusion, while providing the link for the SEs benefit.

Life would be so much easier if I only had the source code.

 

[ChrisHunt]

The SEs probably wouldn't notice the CSS, and probably wouldn't penalise you if they did. OTOH they probably won't give you any appreciable benefit either.

Your time is better spent producing useful content for people than looking for magic bullets to trick the SEs.

-- Chris Hunt
Webmaster & Tragedian
Extra Connections Ltd

 

[ChrisHirst]

Currently SEs do not "do" CSS so it would simply be a link.

BUT it would create usability issues. If all your links look like the rest of the text, How do real users know where to click?


Once you do anything for SE benefit above the users benefit it's the wrong thing to do



Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Woo Hoo! the cobblers kids get new shoes.
People Counting Systems

So long, and thanks for all the fish.

 

[FesterSXS]

Chris,

it is my understanding that Search Engines today do read stylesheets.

What makes you say otherwise?

Tony

Spirax-Sarco - steam traps control valves heat exchangers
Sun Villa - Luxury Florida accommodation

 

[ChrisHirst]

supposedly Google and Yahoo have CSS parsers for inline styles, but only for certain properties. These are/were not in general use but tested on specific URIs, the only assumption there is on spam reported sites. ID's and classes, on-page are currently not parsed and external files are not requested.


Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Woo Hoo! the cobblers kids get new shoes.
People Counting Systems

So long, and thanks for all the fish.

 

[MamaLoca]

If all your links look like the rest of the text, How do real users know where to click?

Well, I could use a Stylesheet to make different links look differently, Some can look one way and some could look another. That's the beauty of CSS.

But if it won't make a difference one way or the other then the it's a moot point

Life would be so much easier if I only had the source code.