Is this link Followed?

[AndreVanKets]

Hi All,

Noticed this link in opensiteexplorer. Its not marked as no-follow, but not sure if this link would pass any value?

http://goafrica.about.com/od/southafrica/a/selfdrivesa.htm

Click on any external link, it takes you to a "preview" page from within the main website.

Is this a false positive? As in it shows as a follow link, but when you actually click it, it doesnt redirect to the website.

Any thoughts on this?

Greg

[TomRayner]

Hi Greg

Unfortunately, I'm not sure whether or not this would add SEO value to your site.

If we look at the source code, the link on the page goes to: http://goafrica.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=goafrica&cdn=travel&tm=61&f=00&su=p531.60.342.ip_&tt=2&bt=0&bts=0&st=12&zu=http%3A//www.driveafrica.co.za/buy-back/general-overview.html

It is effectively opening your website in an about.com frame, we can see this in opening the source code on the above URL. Google have severe difficulty in reading frames (which may have to do with that URL not being indexed on Google).

Honestly, I'm not sure whether or not a backlink to your site would be detected by the Googlebot. If it's detected by OSE there's a chance it might, but because it goes to a framed version of your website I am not certain whether Google would be able to count it.

Would love to hear from Mozzers with experience on this.

[AndreVanKets]

Thanks Tom,

I've noticed a few sites doing this lately. Mostly with a separate directory or "resource" page. I assume its because they don't want people to leave their website? If they were trying to avoid link juice from parsing, surely they would just make the link no-follow?

Here's another example: This one doesn't have such a long URL though..

http://www.embajada-sudafrica.cl/instituciones-comisiones.htm

[TomRayner]

I actually think it's more to do with branding than something to do with parsing link juice.

About.com is a big brand and so having that branded shell/frame to an external site reminds the user how useful About.com has been to help them find the information.  "All hail About.com!" and so on and so on.