80 inbound links from sepperro.com

[fenwaymedia]

Hello

We have a link back to our site www.fenwaymedia.co.uk from the sepperro.com domain in the site's footers and Google Webmaster Tools reports 80 links coming back from the site.

I've thought about making the footer link nofollow and including a single dofollow link back to www.fenwaymedia.co.uk in the sepperro.com homepage. Is this a good solution, if it isn't, what is the best course of action to take to defend against possible penalties caused by all those inbound links from a single domain?

Thanks!

[RebekahMay]

So you own both domains I assume, since you can edit the Sepperro one?  I would just make this one link on the homepage, footer links won't help much, especially being sitewide - or no-following the footer, as you said, would accomplish that as well.

Are both sites on the same IP?

[EGOL]

What is the best course of action to take to defend against possible penalties caused by all those inbound links from a single domain?

I would completely remove every one of those links... and other links that you have on the site.

My bet is that your rankings will not decline.  I would not be surprised if they went up.

Are you concerned about how these links might change the rankings of sepperro.com?

[fenwaymedia]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the responses. Yes we own Sepperro but this is just a hobby site that has been stagnant for a while, rating are not so important concering it by the site it links ot is the business site fenway media .co.uk both sites are on different IP's.

Egol, you mentioned you would remove all of the links by your bet is ratings would increase. If that is the case should I not leave them be. It was an oversight that we have so many but it is easily resolved. After all we built the Sepperro website so it would make sense for at least one to remain,no!? However  if 80 will improve Fenways rankings as a new site...should I leave them.

Thanks again Gentlemen & Ladies

[EGOL]

I am only saying what I would do if these sites belonged to me or if sepperro was my client.  I would remove every link.  These sites are not related by topic matter so those links probably do not help much or at all towards rankings.

If I needed links for fenway I would earn them from other media and design sites by creating excellent design and media content that they would link to because it is outstanding.

Also, if I owned a media and design biz I would be linking from my site to my client's sites and not from my client's site to my site.   However, I know that in the media and design business it has long been customary to create backlinks on every page of every client site.  Just saying that I would earn links from my competitors and colleagues rather than taking them from my clients.

You will find a lot of people in the media and design field who disagree with me.  But I think that they are operating in the media biz that they should have no trouble getting positive press for themselves.  I think that 20 links from colleagues and competitors would be a solid, high-density backlink profile that would be worth more than 1000 footer links from clients.

[fenwaymedia]

Thats a good point EGOL.

Thanks again.