Law firms with multiple sites are always asking us about cross-linking all of their sites. Here’s Google’s Matt Cutts’ take on cross-linking sites.
In our experience, cross-linking sites can be beneficial if implemented properly. However, massive cross-linking between unrelated sites is a great way to get penalized by search engines. It is important that any cross-linking be done judiciously. Following Mr. Cutt’s guidelines is a good place to start. Make sure any cross-linking is done between highly relevant sites.
Further, contextual cross-linking is more favored than universal sidebar or footer cross-linking. For example, if you maintain multiple practice-specific blogs, cross-linking within relevant posts is preferred over cross-linking blog rolls.
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