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 | Web Rings & SEO: The Facts | |||||||||||||
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rings are based on a concept discussed in 1994 by Denis Howe (EUROPA) and developed
by Sage Weil, the original owner of WebRing (http://www.webring.org). A web ring is simply a long string of sites joined together in a sort of ring. In EUROPA, each ring member published a simple hyperlink to the next site on the list. If you click long enough, you'll visit every site along the ring, and come back to where you started. Weil took this concept much further with Webring, creating an HTML fragment with controls to allow forward, backward and random motion in the ring. They were originally a way for users to find sites with related content, by linking them altogether, such that you could surf from one to the next. In principle, no search engine would condemn web rings; they are linking together sites of a similar theme in a way that helps visitors to find what they want. While it is true that anything may get you in trouble, that risk is tiny with web rings: If you think the web ring is likely to bring traffic, then it is worth joining, though the design features are another matter! Web rings may (or may not) get more visitors to your site. Niche sites, where search may be unhelpful, stand to gain most. The numbers we're talking about are generally small; few web rings move large numbers of visitors. But they can bring 'quality' visitors; genuinely interested, likely to spend. They have demonstrated an interest in the topic. All web ring systems refer visitors to the requested site via the ring's server, which interprets your request (next, previous, random, etc) and finds the appropriate page. All the links on your page go to the web ring site. In the 'old fashioned' html system, the links
are there on the page ...
... but all the webring links are directed at webring, not direct to any other member site. Of course, with this ring, the member may add code - but that would be a link like any other; the web ring functions all travel via webring HQ. With the modern 'javascript' navbar, the member has no control at all, the javascript is precoded for the URL, and, again, all links are via webring HQ. If, as in this case, the site is no longer a member of the ring, then Webring can (and does) substitute whatever they like in place of the 'navigation bar'
... And, being javascript,
SEs will not follow the links. Plus for people who have disabled javascript, the
ring will be invisible, too. So there really is no specific SEO gain in web
rings; none at all! Other points to consider are that the reliability of some ring systems is poor at best, and some serve up pop-up boxes and ads in painful numbers. Choose carefully! Web rings are run by organizations, such as Webring, Ringsurf, but are managed day-to-day by volunteers of varying ability and enthusiasm. Some rings are full of irrelevant and spam sites; others of deadlinks (visitors are referred to the ring's home page). The majority of member sites in the majority of web rings, is still home pages, many from pop-up kings like angelfire, and other so-called 'free' sites. Before joining a web ring, always search for your topic, don't just join the first ring you see (there are 40+ dedicated to the Beatles, for example). Then look at each ring. You can see by color coded flags if the sites are working properly (red=bad). You can also see how many members there are, and scan the descriptions. If you have a quality site, avoid a ring full of rubbish. (There are 6 rings of Elvis tribute artists, BTW!!). If you are an honest dealer, read carefully for scams, and avoid such rings. Finally, take a quick tour yourself, to see what visitors will see. In practice, the rings you really need to avoid are the ones where the 'ringmaster' has retired - If your visitor cannot follow the ring, they'll perceive it as your broken link! Even after joining, do check occasionally;
a neglected ring deteriorates at the normal URL disappearance rate (about 5-15%
per month). Summary: You never add specific links to your page, just a 'navigation bar', whose links all go via the ring's URL. Initially, this was a selection of HTML links. Modern rings all use a javascript equivalent to do the same job. This allows for more freeedom in navigation bar design and function. But renders the ring (effectively) invisible to search engines. The major
ring systems all appear in Google, and have Google Page Rank - so Google does
not appear to have a problem with them. But the effects of ring membership on
your site, with reference to search engines, are neutral. Published: 09 August 2005 Updated 08 May 2007 | ||||||||||||||
2 July 2008 | 
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