How can a site have a backlink from Barclays website?

[YNWA]

I thought that but as Dan Price mentions some sites are suspect on there.

[timhatton]

So if I was being charitable, I'd say that's a CMS issue - possibly there's a library of links somewhere internally which have been tagged up incorrectly, and this is a dynamic list which is just pulling back everything tagged up accordingly.

[intSchools]

Some links actually provide 'business services' that you would expect Barclays to have a relationship with but of the other links seem very suspicious - like the food websites.

Even though they're well know brands, the Innocent drinks and Eat Natural links should not really be in a 'Business services' section. It's very unlikely that a visitor would see these links so it must be purely for SEO reasons - even though these websites have a much lower authority than Barclays (I doubt it is for their benefit).

[highwayfive]

Very very odd. I can't see a reason why they are there at all and the mixture of branded and URL links jars on a website such as that?

[stukerr]

All I can imagine is that either they bank with barclays and put a fair bit of business their way and have gotten their business manager to speak to the web team, or perhaps someone on the web staff could be taking a few back-handers for links, has been known to happen before.

[matbennett]

It looks like these are given to those who speak as part of the Barclays Entrepeneur Speakers campaign.  See here: http://www.barclaysandme.com/Seminars/Entrepreneurspeakers/P1242587029441

Very interesting Seems a little... err, uhmm... Naa.. they wouldn't

[intSchools]

Great find there Mat!!

[matbennett]

Wonder how many people will contact them about speaking for them as a result of this thread!  I'd do it for a link from Barclays that's for sure.

[intSchools]

This really shows the endless possibilities we all have for link building. I'd have never thought a bank like Barclays would put lots of hidden links on their website just by talking at one of their events.

Pretty amazing stuff!

[YNWA]

I might as well as we bank with them for business!