Linkbuilding strategy for website development firm... some questions...

[splatdude]

Hi there:

I own a website development and internet marketing business. We began providing onpage optimization as a natural extension of our website design services for our clients. I'm now personally working on the backlinks for our site, and I have a question for someone with more insight than I currently possess:

You folks are probably aware that many web design agencies post footer links in their client's site, with some sort of anchor text to the effect of "website designed by Blankety Blank..."

I've read that these types of sitewide footer links are probably a wash, in terms of linkbuilding value. (Thoughts anyone?) My best sense is that they help a little, but not a lot.

Which led me to my next stratagem, which I'd like some feedback on the merits of...

I'm thinking of offering my clients a slight price reduction in exchange for a dedicated page on their site for attribution. It wouldn't be pure self-promotion in nature; really just a brief description of tools used to build the site and a backlink. It could be part of a pre-existing "partners" page on the site, if client has one, currently. (Some of ours do...)

The net result of this would be a single backlink from the main body content of client's page.

Is this a smart move? I'm wondering what others think...

[Cornel_Ilea]

Hi,

The page on the clients website is a lot better and smarter than a link in the footer, it's like having a guest-post on your client website.

I'll choose 2 back-links anyway, one branded and one with a keyword anchor-text.

Cornel

[splatdude]

Thanks for the insight, Cornel... That's what I was guessing and it is nice to hear my thinking confirmed...

dave

[Delete2012]

A link from an about page is 10x stronger than a footer link.

[SaforwebDesign]

I'm agree with you... Better on about page(and much better as a little link inside the content of homepage)

A link on the footer can help to be known for anyone who likes web design and thinks "Wow... Great job. Who has done it? Let's go to the footer" Maybe a new client...