[RFC] Search engine optimization: nofollow

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Noxwizard
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[RFC] Search engine optimization: nofollow

Post by Noxwizard »

When links are followed from one site to another, search engines will count the source page toward the other site's Page Rank. Links are often posted by users that aren't related to the site's topic (profile/signature links) or that the site would probably not like to "endorse" with its Page Rank. Our own sites for example have many links from the support forums that phpBB does not care to endorse. I suggest adding the nofollow relationship attribute to links in posts, profiles, and signatures.

Bing, Google, and Yahoo support this attribute: http://searchenginewatch.com/article/20 ... -For-Links

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callumacrae
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Re: [RFC] Search engine optimization: nofollow

Post by callumacrae »

-1, I think anyone who has posted deserve to have their site indexed.

How about a permission for this? It would be useful for the newly registered users group.
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Oleg
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Re: [RFC] Search engine optimization: nofollow

Post by Oleg »

(04:21:52) nn-: nofollow is either the wrong solution or the pinnacle of selfishness depending on your reasons for doing it
(04:22:30) nn-: search 'wikipedia nofollow' for a popular debate

Please no.

And links in posts? What links are you going to leave?

ecwpa
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Re: [RFC] Search engine optimization: nofollow

Post by ecwpa »

The only scenario I would use nofollow is probably for new users (read less than 5 post or something). I would apply the nofollow rule to users signatures and profile links but not for the posts itself. That's mods and admins work and its a very cheap way to punish legitimate links just to avoid spam.

The problem is, this could easily get out of hands. If something isn't spam, and it doesn't break the forum rules, admins shouldn't decide what is a what isn't relevant to search engines.
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callumacrae
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Re: [RFC] Search engine optimization: nofollow

Post by callumacrae »

ecwpa wrote:The only scenario I would use nofollow is probably for new users (read less than 5 post or something). I would apply the nofollow rule to users signatures and profile links but not for the posts itself. That's mods and admins work and its a very cheap way to punish legitimate links just to avoid spam.

The problem is, this could easily get out of hands. If something isn't spam, and it doesn't break the forum rules, admins shouldn't decide what is a what isn't relevant to search engines.
+1
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/a3
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Re: [RFC] Search engine optimization: nofollow

Post by /a3 »

Website profiles, definitely yes. Signatures, I think so as well. Posts: definitely not!

It's not that phpBB.com doesn't endorse those links, it's whether the link is relevant to the post content or not. Hopefully, if the moderators are doing their job properly, that should be the case. So I definitely would not agree with having nofollow on posts by default.
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spello
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Re: [RFC] Search engine optimization: nofollow

Post by spello »

I think that signatures should be disabled from displaying for bots at all. Also, urls in signatures and in profile fields (personal website, facebook profile etc.) should be nofollowed, because not all bots are on ACP bot list.

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Volksdevil
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Re: [RFC] Search engine optimization: nofollow

Post by Volksdevil »

Big +1!

I've had this on my 3.0.12 for a while now for:
1/ External links.
2/ Member profiles.
3/ Profile/custom profile fields.

I used a combination of the 'Prime links' MOD by Prime halo?, and my own tweaking of code to add the rel="nofollow" to the external links. It's styled really nicely and is also good web design etiquette IMO.

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Re: [RFC] Search engine optimization: nofollow

Post by mrgtb »

you can edit a template and add a simple conditional wrapped around signature link code to only show them to members. So adding the feature to disable signature links from being viewed by guests/bots shouldn't be that hard to implement with a switch added in admin cp to either allow or deny bots/guests from viewing signatures. It can also help combat spammers joining if there's an option to switch signature links off globally from guests/bots viewing - and help a little with SEO because there's "less noise" in topics with them not displayed to guest/bots indexing content.

But agree, all external links leading away from forum should have nofollow attribute added to them. Otherwise you passing page rank (juice) onto other sites, which nofollow tells search engines like Google not to do.

+1

https://support.google.com/webmasters/a ... 6569?hl=en

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jsebean
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Re: [RFC] Search engine optimization: nofollow

Post by jsebean »

This is a minor change to the core that doesn't matter one way or the other. Spammers will still spam. Additionally, even if this were to be implemented, you don't want to add nofollow to links within your own website.

-1
Personally, I'd say no to the core. While I might consider it as an extension and using it on my board if implemented properly, doesn't the ACP have enough toggle buttons? :P This one isn't going to make a bit of difference from the spam side of things. Wordpress already does this yet spammers will spam the crap out of wordpress anyway. All you're doing is hurting legit posts that wouldn't harm anyone if they benefited by a little bit of pagerank anyway.

Not only that, but how many times does this have to be brought up?
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