A WebmasterWorld thread has a post from a member I trust. The post is about TripAdvisor's listing policies requiring those who want a listing to link back to TripAdvisor's web site.
He wrote:
I run a website for a small hotel that has just been fully refurbished and they applied to TripAdvisor UK today to be listed/linked etc.That's fine, they said, however they would need a reciprocal link from the hotel.
It's a non-issue and has already been done however I was wondering whether this is their new way of building backlinks as a defense against current and future Panda updates.
It would make sense, has anyone else heard of such requests/demands?
TripAdvisor has a linking information page with detailed instructions on how they want you to link to them. Clearly, there is no nofollow attribute in there.
Tnooz ran a story showing that most of the listings on TripAvisor do not have links from TripAdvisor back to the hotel.
In any event, requiring a reciprocal link, if true, is a bit risky for TripAdvisor.
We know TripAdvisor and Google have had their fights in the past - will this lead to one more?
Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.
