WordPress Plugin Backlinks?

[JABacchetta]

I'm considering having a WordPress plugin developed that would provide content from my site for others to display in their sidebar. It would definitely provide value for users and I know people would use it on their sites, but my question is . . .

If I were to add my link below the widget (e.g. "Content provided by Company ABC"), would this be good or bad for SEO? The anchor text wouldn't be anything special, just an exact match of my brand name (my domain name).

I seem to remember Matt Cutts answering something similar a few years ago and I thought he said it was fine as long as the anchor text was the brand name. But maybe things have changed since then.

Keep in mind that this plugin could potentially be used by tens of thousands of sites, so the backlink profile could be huge.

Thoughts? Would this cause my site to get penalized?

[MikeRoberts]

The Matt Cutts video you're thinking of might be this one from Oct 2012.... Wherein he basically says the algorithm won't count those links because they aren't editorially included and aren't truly organic.

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[JABacchetta]

Thanks for the video, Mike. After watching it, I'm still a bit confused. He specifically addresses high keyword density anchor text in this video. And he talks more along the lines of themes and such that don't really offer any content value.

I'm thinking that since I'm only using my brand name as the anchor text, and that I'm providing content on other sites that is directly related to what I offer on my own site . . . that should be enough for Google to accept it as white hat. Because in the end, I would be getting targeted clicks from this widget . . . and hasn't that always been Google's philosophy? If it's bringing you targeted traffic, then it's white hat.

Or maybe I'm just trying to convince myself that it's a good idea? In the end, all that matters is whether Google penalizes me for it . . . not how useful I believe it to be.

[MikeRoberts]

It sounds like one of two things will happen given your explanation. Either the links will count because they are relevant. Or Google will decide not to count them because of their nature as an embedded widget link. I don't see this hurting you currently though with the way Google handles these things since its not a necessarily spammy link and its not hidden deep in some code somewhere trying to trick people.

[Atomicx]

I do not think you would get much benefit from this. Your link profile would probably get all kinds of messy. And what if a bunch of poor quality sites start using that plugin and you end up having links on malicious, porn, poker, or other bad sites?

Plugin links and template footer links should be avoided now in my opinion