An easy way to increase your page ranking is to submit your site to blog directories. But, what if you learned that a popular directory you were submitting to was using methods that prevented their site from passing PageRank to you? What would your thoughts be then?
If you have submitted a link to the social networking and blog directory BlogCatalog you might be surprised to know that the popular website passes on ‘0’ PageRank to you the blogger.
Run your mouse over your link listed Blog Catalog and look at the actual link. Notice it goes to their site and not yours.
Now click on your link and you will be taken to your blog’s info page.
On this page Blog Catalog uses the following Javascript onClick.
“<a href=”http://blackholesandastrostuff.blogspot.com” onclick=”return o(’blackholes-and-astrostuff’);” id=”b_url”>http://blackholesandastrostuff.blogspot.com</a>”
A link on this page at Blogcatalog might take a visitor to the blog, but no PR will be given.
Therefore your JavaScript controlled link in Blog Catalog’s directory is worthless. You may receive some occasional traffic from Blog Catalog, but your link will have absolutely no benefit from an SEO standpoint.
NoFollow
If you look further you will see Nofollow in the RSS links. You will have to view code source to see this. NoFollow tells the search engines not to follow the links and thus not to pass PR either.
Shawn DesRochers has more on this at Invision Graphics.
Be sure to read BlogCatalog – Blog Catalog Doesn’t Pass Pagerank.
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17 responses so far ↓
Wrote: Sep 12, 2007 at 1:03 am
Nice post Rose. It is time to put them on test.
I am happy to find people like you who do not hesitate to challenge.
Carry on Rose
Wrote: Sep 12, 2007 at 7:55 am
I think Google may be the only search engine that looks at “nofollow”, so you will still recieve a good backlink strength in the eyes of MSN search and Yahoo. I know that Google is King, but Yahoo is really fighting back and has undergone some great improvements this year.
Also, I find that PR is not the most important factor. Some sites are great for passing through traffic. I’m more concerned about this than PR.
But its always nice to know who is “cheating the system”, especially when it’s masked/hidden so well. I imagine a lot of people out there didn’t know that search engine spiders don’t execute javascript.
Some great info yet again Rose
Wrote: Sep 12, 2007 at 11:03 am
Your husband’s article that BlogCatalog does not pass page rank is false and misleading. He doesnt know what he is talking about and neither do you in your libelous statements about blogcatalog. I would be surprised if that company didn’t sue you for your continued misleading and false accusations.
Wrote: Sep 12, 2007 at 12:02 pm
That was some informative article, Rose. I have been an active member at BlogCatalog and never knew about this. Thanx for the info, you have a great blog, very informative. Also thanx for stopping by blog.
Wrote: Sep 12, 2007 at 1:53 pm
Steve, BlogCatalog has no grounds to sue us. They are using Java Onclick. Java does not pass PR. Matt Cutt has commented on the fact that java does not pass PageRank numerous times.
Matt, you are correct that Yahoo does not always obey the no-follow despite they state that they do. The reason that many submit to blog directories is to increase their PageRank and exposure to their blog. How can they do this if BlogCatalog is using No-follow and JavaScript. The point of this post was to educate those that do care about their PageRank.
Rita, my pleasure.
Wrote: Sep 12, 2007 at 2:11 pm
I beg to differ, as everyone knows the major source of traffic comes from Google search enquiries and they do obey the NOFOLLOW tag, meaning your listing isn’t benefiting you at all. Its also common knowledge for all experienced webmasters that search engines do not pass Pagerank for site links using JavaScript.
This discussion has been taken up many times at the SES convention; Matt Cutts of Google has also remarked that onclick doesn’t pass Pagerank.
The key objective to any directory is increasing traffic, exposure and Pagerank.
Those three objectives alone Blog Catalog defies the true meaning of a blog directory.
Using nofollow tag and JavaScript in the URLS give no benefits to the blogs listed within their directory.
This is a fact not fiction. My Post on Blog Catalog is not a personal attack it’s a review of their services, which I am entitled to do. There is nothing libel in my review. I state the facts; provide the knowledge to those bloggers unaware.
You are free to debate this all you like, but any SEO or CEO of any Major search engine like Matt Cutts, the SES convention all state that JavaScript in any reciprocal URL is sneaky and unethical mthod.
http://www.invision-graphics.com/ftopicp-135.html
Wrote: Sep 12, 2007 at 2:42 pm
blogcatalog does not have no follow tags. and their script simply tracks click throughs. it doesnt not stop page rank from passing. you guys are such idiots. there should be a place on the net where people like you are sent.
Wrote: Sep 12, 2007 at 2:59 pm
Steve, first of all you are claiming to be Steve Case. Steve Case is the co-founder and former chief executive officer and chairman of America Online. I highly doubt that you are him.
Second of all I have not approved two of your comments as they were nothing more than person attacks and personal attacks will not be tolerated on this blog.
BlogCatalog does have Nofollow on the RSS. View the page source. Furthermore, their Java Onclick does not pass PageRank.
Considered yourself banned for trolling.
Wrote: Sep 12, 2007 at 10:20 pm
Lol,
The sentence construction and information structure seems quite familiar to me!!!
If you read the comments on my blog, you may guess something too.
And don’t bother about those who do not have courage to share their web address!
Wrote: Sep 13, 2007 at 9:51 am
You are right ,there is no use of directories to a webmaster if they cant pass pagerank ,number of visitors that they directly send to us is not countable in any way.
Wrote: Sep 13, 2007 at 1:55 pm
I recommend that you read this.
It may look like a clear link, but is not pass PR.
http://forums.searchenginewatch.com/showthread.php?p=90316
It is a discussion where Matt Cutts and Brian White both from Google mention that OnClick Java does not pass PageRank.
If you look closely you will see that it is very similar to what BC uses.
Wrote: Sep 14, 2007 at 12:11 am
Rose,
(Java and JavaScript are not the same thing and the names shouldn’t be used interchangably. I’m referencing your comment above about Java/onclick. )
I don’t use the catalogs for SEO purposes, so much as to create a sense of community. I love to see the new icons cropping up and old ones coming back. I’ve found many great blogs through these sites, and I know that a few have found mine.
I don’t agree with commenters who say there is *no* benefit in being listed. Growing a community is not just a case of growing page rank (which might be discontinued in any case). It’s about getting out there and meeting people, building friendships and readership.
Otherwise yes, it’s a very interesting article, and I didn’t know about the link issue (though as noted, I don’t really care, either)…and I’m glad you squished your silly troll so gracefully.
Linda
Wrote: Sep 14, 2007 at 1:02 am
Linda, thank you for pointing out that little error in my post. I have corrected it.
Tricking people into believing that they are gaining from a link is bad business ethnics in my opinion.
The directory in question is benefiting from an SEO prospective, but all those who submit to them are not.
We are not saying here in this post that Blog Catalog is not beneficial from a networking perspective. We have commented that it is not beneficial from an SEO perspective in that the links do not pass Page Rank.
The reason that many people submitted to Blog Catalog before it became a network was because it was a Page Rank seven directory and it is still listed as such.
Many still submit there because of that reason.
Ask anyone and they will tell you that one way to increase PR is to get backlinks from high PR sites. However in the Case of BlogCatalog it is questioned if the link is beneficial.
That is what the question of this topic is.
It is not whether BlogCatalog is beneficial as a social network.
I cover that in another post.
I won’t argue with you that social networks have their place.
Thank you for commenting.
Wrote: Sep 14, 2007 at 11:42 am
oh oh, you hit a nerve with somebody, but it sounds to me you might know who they really are, very interesting post, I was of course not aware of this and quite frankly dissapointed with BC. But they are good for social networking cause that’s how I found you and other great people.
Wrote: Sep 14, 2007 at 2:28 pm
This is the type of thing that had prompted me to write my post about link bait on the part of BC back when I first signed up with them.
To their credit, they have changed some of the things that I complained about. I’ve still got my site listed there although I don’t participate much in the discussions anymore.
It is still a tool in my toolbox but I don’t rely on them for any juice.
Wrote: Sep 14, 2007 at 9:13 pm
Derek, I realize they have changed a few things including the way that you now claim blogs. Wonderful!
Now if they could only see that the link is not passing PageRank.
Wrote: Sep 24, 2007 at 1:07 pm
Although the ability for the search engines to follow the nofollow tag is debatable, as of right now the search engines do not read javascript so the links would not pass pagerank.