May
Wikipedia Debate Rages on Value of a Link
It used to be that a link to your site from Wikipedia would transfer that site’s high page rank over to yours, using a formula of course, meaning it certainly was never a one-for-one type of transfer. However, in January 2007, Wikipedia decided to do what I decided to do yesterday–add the “nofollow” tag to my outbound links so I don’t give up any of my scarce page rank.
Of course, if some site with a PR of 8 or 10 asks to trade links with me, then out goes the “nofollow” tag in a tit for tat, but the chances of that’s happening are zero.
Is a Wikipedia backlink still valuable? Some argue not, but many counter that what counts is the traffic to your site that such a link could generate, not the transfer of PR. Good point. Traffic is king, and traffic that converts is god, or gold anyway.
However, getting that link is the hard part, and people have resorted to every trick in the book to get one. Since Wikipedia is an open site, anyone can sign up and start editing/adding copy, but there are safeguards that prevent and correct spam–and eliminate irrevelent articles and entries.
The quickest way is just to become famous in your own right and then you’ll get an entry at Wikipedia, replete with all kinds of links.
Easier said than done, huh?
Tags: Wikipedia
