Unique Domains vs. Total Links?

[ErikDster]

At what point is there diminishing returns from getting multiple links from one website?

Edit: To clarify, when doing competitor research I come across lots of sites that have say 500 linking domains with 5000 total links. When setting goals and calculating the types of links I should go after, I'm not certain which number is the one actually helping the site to rank.

[SeattleOrganicSEO]

I'd agree with EGOL.  Our goal is always to get more domains.

I would argue that having a domain is like having 1 fan.  Having multiple links from the same domain is like that same fan saying different things about you.  The first complement is usually the best, but after that, you know s/he's a fan and so you listen to the 2nd, 3rd and additional complements less so.

[Matthew_Edgar]

That is a good point!

On that though, what would the more preferable placements be for a multiple link situation? I would say it would be better to have multiple links in the content area as opposed to multiple links in the footer. Or, do you think a distribution of links would be better...for example, one link in the content and another in the footer?

[brandonjschwartz]

To add, is the link in the first couple of paragraphs, the middle, or the end of a document? Or is it in the sidebar, footer, or top menu bar of a site? Common sense can tell you which of these have more impact.

[Matthew_Edgar]

I would say it depends on what the website is and the nature of the links.

Are the multiple links all on the same page or are they on several different pages of the site? Getting links on many different pages of a website would be more beneficial than getting multiple links on the same page.

What about the placement of the link to your website? Is it just a link in the directory or is the link part of a highly relevant blog post? Multiple links inside a relevant blog post can continue to add value if those links go to different pages of your website.

Also, it is worth considering if it is a high authority or low authority website. If it is a high authority site, then multiple links would be worth pursuing. If it is a low authority website, there wouldn't be much value to multiple links from that kind of website.

[EGOL]

Nobody knows for sure but I am betting that diminishing returns begin at about the second link.

However, if you are getting links from the Pope's site then you can probably get an awful lot of them before the value depletes to a really low level.