Forum Signature Links

[Agger]

After the new update from google, are Forum Signature Links still very good to use linkbuliding or?

[Klarke]

If your idea is to slap on your signature with anchor text heavy links on every forum possible, then no they are not a very good thing to be doing post-2012.

There's a place for them though.  If you're participating on a forum that's relevant to your website then I don't see why you can't place a link or two to your website in the signature.  But I would avoid trying to put manipulative anchor text in there.  Just use the plain URL or a branded term like your business or domain name.

Also, google recently updated their webmaster guidelines with a forum signature example of what you should not be doing:

Forum comments with optimized links in the post or signature, for example:
_Thanks, that’s great info!

• Paul
  paul’s pizza san diego pizza best pizza san diego_

[CoreyNorthcutt]

They do get indexed and they can help as much as any other link.  And, like everything, you're best off doing it without embarrassing your brand.  So,

YES:  If you want to plop a PR rep on a forum to make a good 15 or so useful contributions to the conversation, with a real signature, like you might attach to an email, compliant with that particular forum's signature guidelines.

NO:  If you want to buy 100,000 forum signature links blasted using a piece of software.

As with everything, chase the marketing, not the algorithm.  That will get you a lot further than worrying about what Google will be doing in 2013, because even if you dodge a bullet in the short-term, Google's end goals are always the same.

[Debdulal]

And of course, you should not join all the forums that come along the way. I have seen people skipping reputed forums because they do not give instant back link from the signature section. This is a sickening mentality. Participating in forum is about helping others and not just getting a link back from them. So, if you wish you can add a link back to your website with Branded Keyword, avoid exact matched anchor texts like plague and you will be just fine.

[Marcus_Miller]

**Hey, this is exactly right: **chase the marketing, not the algorithm

If you search around your topic and find frequent forum listings in the search results then get in on those pages and help out and that link back to your site is some good solid branding that will drive referral traffic.

On the flipside, if someone stumbles across that post and you have chipped in with:

"Yes, very good information, I am thanking you muchley"

And have a signature like

Keyword Spam | more Keyword Links | Blarghh SEO Puke

Then all you are doing is indicating to Google that you are trying to manipulate the results for those keywords so you will likely do more harm than good.

The spammy link algorithm aspects like Penguin are only going to get more aggressive so as Corey said above: chase the marketing, not the algorithm!

Marcus