Are links left in comments read by google?

1. 94

   Thomas Swanposted 11 years ago

   Someone left a bunch of wikipedia links in a comment on one of my hubs. They were relevant to what we were talking about. I would rather not delete the comment unless I have to. However, I'm also aware that mass-linking, especially to wikipedia, can be a problem. Do google and other search engines read these links? Could it affect the page performance?

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      Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      What is the title of the Hub?

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      1. 94

         Thomas Swanposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         It's called "40 Facts About Genghis Khan". The comment it definitely not spam though.

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2. 93

   EricDockettposted 11 years ago

   Absolutely.  This is why I delete any comment with a link, with the exception of when the link is to a Hub by a Hubber whose work I know very well.
   
   It would be nice if we had the option to strip code from our comments.  It is a bummer when someone leaves an otherwise wonderful comment, then decides to emphasize their point with a link to some site you've never heard of.

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   1. 94

      Thomas Swanposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for the info. I might delete the comment but leave one myself to thank him for the information he gave and to explain the deletion.

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         Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         #1 – all of the links in comments are NoFollow, which means that Google is not dispersing PageRank to them.
         #2 – those links are to a high PR site and Google particularly loves Wikipedia
         #3 – in this case, I would leave the links because they add relevant content to your Hub

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         1. 93

            EricDockettposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Doesn't google still know what a link is to even if it is nofollow?

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               Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               Yes, of course, Google knows what the link is so you should never leave even a NoFollow link to a bad site or to an unrelated site.  In the Hub in question, however, the message sent to Google is that the author of the page is not personally recommending the link.

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         2. 39

            Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            PS: I would, however, remove all of the links in your photo credits.  Those are spammy links and they are followed. You don't need any credit for a public domain image and the Wiki photos which do need a citation don't require a link.

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            1. 92

               DzyMsLizzyposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               I find quite a few public domain images that often request, and sometimes demand a link-back to the site... "If this photo is being redistributed, you MUST link back to this page" is the usual type of thing I see.
               
               Also--if I do not put a link to prove that it is a public domain image, (so HP can check), then how would HP know that it is a properly used image?
               
               What would be to stop someone from simply stating that something was a public domain or CC photo/image even if that were not true?
               
               Does a link to the source, therefore not serve as a 'checks and balances' protocol?

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               1. 39

                  Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                  HP doesn't require that you give a link to an image source.  If the copyright owner of the image requires a link, you can put it at the end of your Hub in a Text capsule and use the "NoFollow" attribute.
                  
                  In using this site, sometimes you have to make a choice between having a Hub as an HOTD candidate or having a Hub that will be found every day on Google search results pages.  I  choose Google.

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         3. 94

            Thomas Swanposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Thanks, I'll leave the comment as it is then. With the photo credits, I'm just going by what hubpages say is good practice. Do they make an exception for wiki photos?

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               Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               I know.  I go by what Google says are best practices.

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         EricDockettposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         If it's only to wikipedia its not likely to hurt you. I'd probably still delete it just on principle.  It's bad form to drop a bunch of links like that, IMO. 
         
         Again, if we had the option to strip links he could make his point without changing your link profile, and anyone who was really interested could cut and paste.  And you wouldn't have to feel bad for denying his comment.

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3. 59

   LindaSmith1posted 11 years ago

   It is a spammer.

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