Ha! No special weight given to .edu, .gov

John Scott · #1 (**permalink**) 08-03-2006, 03:02 PM

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...37348670651505

I have been saying for a while now that the whole hoopla over .edu and .gov links was bull****.

Now Matt confirms it.

vangogh · #2 (**permalink**) 08-03-2006, 03:59 PM

Thanks John. I hadn't seen that video yet. Last time I checked there were only three.

Makes sense that .edu and .gov shouldn't really carry any extra weight because of the tld alone. Otherwise every student on the planet could pretty easily manipulate things. I have to admit I was beginning to think they might be more important given all the seos, many or who I respect greatly, were seeming to climb on board. I guess I just need to listen to you.

I'll just go back to looking at them the same way I always have and the way I look at all links. Not that I've been actively pursuing .edu and .gov links or have any for that matter.

Aviva · #3 (**permalink**) 08-03-2006, 04:07 PM

Yeah,

John told me this a long time ago...
http://www.v7n.com/forums/318557-post2.html

Always good advice from you...

Bjorn Solstad · #4 (**permalink**) 08-03-2006, 04:14 PM

Agreed John.

I never saw any good reason why they should? It's funny how all SEO's and wannabees is jumping on different theories as if it was a fact.

John Scott · #5 (**permalink**) 08-03-2006, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bjorn Solstad

Agreed John.

I never saw any good reason why they should? It's funny how all SEO's and wannabees is jumping on different theories as if it was a fact.

Currently writing a blog post on information accuracy in the SEO industry. This just highlights the lack of.

sixty6 · #6 (**permalink**) 08-03-2006, 06:44 PM

That is a pretty nice find! All this time I believed that .edu links were the best!

Julie · #7 (**permalink**) 08-03-2006, 07:59 PM

I have some .gov and .edu links... They have high PR though so I think that's the factor, not the fact that they are the .gov or .edu TLDs.

sixty6 · #8 (**permalink**) 08-03-2006, 08:26 PM

Well thanks for the heads-up, just blogged it

So it's just the fact that they have content and linkage which gives them PR recognition and making the links valuable, not JUST because it's .edu or .gov!

John Scott · #9 (**permalink**) 08-03-2006, 08:42 PM

Thanks dude

sixty6 · #10 (**permalink**) 08-03-2006, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Scott

Thanks dude

woah, when did you start saying "dude"?

lol....

Julie · #11 (**permalink**) 08-04-2006, 10:21 AM

He says dude often, dude.

BluePoint · #12 (**permalink**) 08-04-2006, 11:44 AM

Very Interesting. I wondered about this for quite some time but never really ended up believing they were worthwhile in weight other than for their tendency to carry high PR.

sem4u · #13 (**permalink**) 08-07-2006, 03:51 AM

Matt Cutts did state this quite a while ago. I think he said something about it at a conference.

sixty6 · #14 (**permalink**) 08-07-2006, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sem4u

Matt Cutts did state this quite a while ago. I think he said something about it at a conference.

you actually go to the conferences? I can't go

ewc21 · #15 (**permalink**) 08-07-2006, 10:47 PM

That should be a fair case. I couldn't think of people maintaining .edu and .gov sites as more reputable than the dotcoms and dotnets.

sem4u · #16 (**permalink**) 08-08-2006, 12:51 AM

I haven't been to a conference yet but I am hoping to go to Vegas in November

sixty6 · #17 (**permalink**) 08-09-2006, 02:09 PM

Where do you guys find out about these conferences?

James Trotta · #18 (**permalink**) 08-09-2006, 10:11 PM

Exactly. I like edu links because they come from authority sites. I don't care what the extension is, but you can't tell me that a link from say Purdue University's online writing lab is not better than one from James Trotta' online writing lab.

There is one student on DP taking people for a ride by selling links on his free university homepage. Well if you don't learn to take advantage of chumps while you're in college, when are you going to learn?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Julie

I have some .gov and .edu links... They have high PR though so I think that's the factor, not the fact that they are the .gov or .edu TLDs.

sixty6 · #19 (**permalink**) 08-10-2006, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James Trotta

Exactly. I like edu links because they come from authority sites. I don't care what the extension is, but you can't tell me that a link from say Purdue University's online writing lab is not better than one from James Trotta' online writing lab.

There is one student on DP taking people for a ride by selling links on his free university homepage. Well if you don't learn to take advantage of chumps while you're in college, when are you going to learn?

Smart!

vangogh · #20 (**permalink**) 08-10-2006, 02:44 PM

Exactly James. The key to the Purdue link being a good one is because of the autority status of the Purdue writing program. The extension though has nothing to do with it. If the Purdue site was purdue.org that link would be worth just as much.

Can't blame the student for trying and the way old and/or inneffective seo tactics seem to hang around he'll probably be able to put himself through school.