Conflicting Data with Open Site Explorer & SEO Moz Toolbar

[qlkasdjfw]

Hi there,

Why is my SEOmoz toolbar showing me higher linking root domains than open site explorer?

For example, for this site: http://thisisouryear.com/, the linking root domains in SEOMOZ show 1,015 and in open site explorer it says it has 35. I have noticed this for other sites as well.

Which one is right? And why are they different?

[KeriMorgret]

Are you looking at the exact same url? Sometimes this happens if you are looking at www in the browser and non-WWW in OSE, or if there's a trailing slash, etc.

[qlkasdjfw]

Yes, same exact URL.

[RyanKent]

When you look in OSE, it shows 35 LRD but right above the large metrics is the small print "Link metrics for the page http://thisisouryear.com/".

The key word is "page". If you look at the SEOmoz tool bar it offers three sets of link metrics: the page, the sub-domain and the root domain. If you look at the page metrics for the URL you will see it shows as 35 LRD. If you look at the root domain metrics, it shows 1015 LRD.

As an additional note, this particular directory does not warrant any analysis. It is a pay-for-link directory which charges $25 for links and then you choose if you want a follow or nofollow link. If you choose nofollow, then the link is not worth paying money. If you choose follow, then you are violating Google's policies as this site is not compliant with them. You would therefore subject yourself or your client to penalties. Google is coming down hard on manipulative links and their removal is the most painful penalty to deal with in SEO.

The overwhelming majority of directories are manipulative links. If you obtain a link from a directory, please be sure they comply with Google's guidelines.