Iframes vs links

[incept]

Obviously, websites can link to another web site using iframes, and Google and other search engines do seem to have some capability to index the content. What I want to know is what is the difference in value passed between a regular link and an iframe link.

<iframe src="http://www.targetwebsite.com/targetlink"><br /><br />will have the same page ranking effect on the target web site as this link: <br /><br /><a href="http://www.targetwebsite.com/targetlink">link</a><br /><br />Alternative, would it work to include an invisible actual link right before the iframe, like this: <br /><br /><a style="display: none;" href="http://www.targetwebsite.com/targetlink">link</a><br /><iframe src="http://www.targetwebsite.com/targetlink"/></p> <p><span style="color: #5e5e5e;">The reason is that we are building a product recommendation engine, for a branded cosmetology school in order to get our concept salons to link back to use and I was curious if creating a version they can use as an iframe will give us link benefit.</span></p></iframe>

[incept]

The widget is a great idea that has been discussed, the only issue is that we will be using coldfusion to power the functionality.

[eyepaq]

It can be a good e-marketing campaign. You can get good traffic from those links, directly from people that are visiting the site that hosts this iframe but I still don't think it will help from a SEO perspective - as far a slink building.

Maybe I am off with this but can you try this using a widget ?

(Build a small widget that will contain your link and some other info that the salon owners can find it useful to have on the site).

In this way they will just load the widget or a a rss that will display the additional info and your link directly within that particular page. if you can give them some extra benefit they and a very easy way to include that widget - a copy and paste action - you can have a win/win for both sides.

Anything that will move away from the iframe procedure can help your website from the SEO perspective. In my opinion you should turn it on all sides in order to get the best of it.

If there is no solution, then yes, better an iframe then nothing as it can bring some dedicate hits but again, I don't think it will bring any SEO benefit.

[incept]

We just wont have it available in an iframe...I agree this may go beyond traditional seo. But we are competing in a difficult vertical and we have some great potential links from salon owners.

Thanks for your feedback!!

[eyepaq]

Normally for this type of flow you won't get any value for that link.

That is because that iframe is in fact a page that is displayed within another page and use for this purpose alone - to link to you that is. That page doesn't have any authority because no one is linking to it - not even the site that part of - this page won't be in any navigation, sitemap or any other linked source - so it will have almost no value. Maybe a little value as part of an authority site but I doubt it will cont.

Just to underline the above - you will have a link from an obscure page, a satellite that for the user will look like is part of an important page but for Google and friends (since they see beyond the smoke screen) this page won't pass any link juice.

This is the reason why for link building one of the most important requests is : the link shouldn't be within an iframe or using a javascript.

My personal opinion is to move away from this concept as it can eat up a lot of resources with only a small to none amount of benefits.

Hope it helps as an outside advice.

[cottamg]

I thought that content in iFrames (including links) was disregarded by the search engines.

It's my understanding that including links in an iFrame is the only fail-safe way not to leak link juice?