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WordPress Footer Links... Things that make you hmmm.

By
Real Estate Agent with Century 21 Results Realty GA RE Lic # 282060

WordPress themes come in two basic flavors...

  • Free
  • Not Free

Notice that for the second class, I didn't say paid...

Free themes would seem to be pretty self explanatory.  They don't cost anything.  But, what appears to be free isn't always.  Sometimes there is a non-monetary cost.  But let's talk about the themes that really are free.

There are theme designers out there that like to design themes.  They churn out a theme for themselves for a site and then kick out some variations for the world.  Sometimes (usually) they ask that you leave a link in the footer intact that comes back to them.  That is cool (look at the links on the bottom)...  They actually can get a little Google Juice from that, and it doesn't really hurt you.  I class those as great free themes.  I have used a few like that.  And even if I modify them... and I generally modify them... I leave the link to them intact because I think that is a great trade off. 

There are also some themes that have 'affiliate links' in the footer.  In this case, the designer is hoping that someone will click on the footer link and buy a product for which he will be paid a commission.  I actually have some affiliate links peppered around my sites for products or services that I use... and I am actually going to deploy a few more.  But again, you want to know who you are promoting on your site, whether it is your affiliate link or someone else's.

And there that are themes that you can download without spending money... but I don't really consider them free... they just don't cost money.  These are what may be referred to as "Sponsored Themes".  Basically, a company hires a designer to build a theme and allow it to be freely distributed.  There isn't anything wrong with that... it can be great for the people using the theme, designing the theme and paying for it. 

  • The user gets a free theme that might be cooler than other themes out there.
  • The designer makes money... feeds the kids.
  • The sponsor gets links back to their site, Google Juice and traffic.

But, the problem is that some of the sponsors might not be people you want linked on your site.  Most are just fine... but there are all sorts of companies.  Here is one that is sponsored by a web host.  I have run across themes sponsored by porn portals and even real estate companies... I don't want either linked on my site... especially the real estate company (the Google Juice would actually be stronger for them because of the relevance of my site). 

What can you do about it?

There are three things you can do...

  • Only deal with premium, paid themes.
  • Limit yourself to themes that don't have objectionable links.
  • Kill the links.

I do the first two.  I have a paid theme from Shifter on my primary blog.  I have several free themes with limited links on property blogs and other websites that I administer (my wife's law firm and our business and family sites).  I don't kill the links.  There is a variation that I have run across... but I wouldn't personally do it... masking the links.  Basically, they can be masked by making the the same or similar color as the background.  I would avoid that for two reasons.  It is certainly against the spirit of the Terms of Service you likely agreed to when you utilized the theme, and Google doesn't like hidden content. 

So, while you are wandering around looking at the thousands of free theme options, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the demo and take a look.  Also, when you test the theme on your own site, be sure to look at the footer and follow the links.  Know who you might be promoting with your business.

***Update***

I realized that I wasn't very clear.  This discussion pertains to WordPress in the self-hosted variety... WordPress.org, not WordPress.com.

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Unless otherwise noted, all content of this blog is the property of Lane Bailey, ©2012 Lane Bailey. 

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Comments (15)

Rita Bradley
Laguna Hills, CA
Valuation Consultant in Orange County California 949-916-3263

Great advice Lane.  I'm going hmmm now.

Mar 28, 2009 04:07 AM
Maria Mastrolonardo, IL Probate Specialist
RE/MAX of Naperville & RE/MAX Enterprises - Naperville, IL
Illinois Probate Realtor

Lane - Very interesting, I'll have to take a look into it. Thanks!

Mar 28, 2009 04:11 AM
Matt McLaughlin
The Pest Force - Myrtle Beach, SC

Good advice! I enjoyed the video too, haha.

Mar 28, 2009 04:23 AM
Cathy Tishhouse
RE/MAX Showcase Homes - Royal Oak, MI
Royal Oak Real Estate

I use a free (I think) theme where I can customize my header - didn't think about checking out the links and will do that.  I believe in giving credit where it is due and they deserve to have the links there as long as they are not objectionable.

Mar 28, 2009 11:13 AM
Naoma Doriguzzi
Virginia Beach - Virginia Beach, VA
New Media Director

Lane - i am getting used to the wordpress blog and and there is so much more to learn on that site

Mar 28, 2009 12:48 PM
Paul McParland
LakeZilla.com - Mountainzilla.com - Atlanta, GA
Lakezilla & Mountainzilla, Lake Homes & Mountain Homes

USE THE FOOTERS to your advantage and link them back to your site with good keywords, it will give you Google Juice!

Mar 28, 2009 01:57 PM
Lane Bailey
Century 21 Results Realty - Suwanee, GA
Realtor & Car Guy

Sky - So am I... 

Maria - Enjoy.

Matt - Thanks.

Cathy - I use a few free ones... and one has rotating header images.  Usually the free ones can be customized.  But those pesky footers have rules.

Naoma - There sure is. 

Paul - Don't mess with the theme creator's links unless you have permission... you don't want to violate copyright... even for Google Juice.

Mar 28, 2009 02:42 PM
Shane OnullGorman
Eau Claire Realty, Inc. - Eau Claire, WI
Eau Claire Wisconsin, Real Estate Agent & Realtor- Buy or Sell

I was going to say that Lane. You are asking for big trouble if you just rewrite links or change things you are not licensed to do. I dont mind giving credit where its due.

Mar 28, 2009 04:56 PM
Elizabeth Cooper-Golden
Huntsville Alabama Real Estate, (@ Homes Realty Group) - Huntsville, AL
Huntsville AL MLS

Lane, You are FULL of great info.  I always thought "free" was too good to be true in many instances.  I would flip if a porn site linked back to mine...I had no idea these links were there.  Thanks for letting us know!  :)

Mar 29, 2009 02:47 PM
Lane Bailey
Century 21 Results Realty - Suwanee, GA
Realtor & Car Guy

Shane - We may disagree about a lot of stuff, but we are standing shoulder to shoulder on this one.

Elizabeth - My wife owuld say I am full of something...  And I would worry about who is linking to me as much as where my site might be linking to....

Mar 29, 2009 03:43 PM
Troy Erickson AZ Realtor (602) 295-6807
HomeSmart - Chandler, AZ
Your Chandler, Ahwatukee, and East Valley Realtor

Lane - I haven't yet figured out the whole wordpress blog thing yet.  I need to explore it more to see what it is all about, and then figure out how these themes come into play.  Thanks for the info.

Apr 08, 2009 11:19 AM
Lane Bailey
Century 21 Results Realty - Suwanee, GA
Realtor & Car Guy

Troy - WordPress is great.  It is worth learning. 

Apr 08, 2009 02:42 PM
Evelyn Johnston
Friends & Neighbors Real Estate - Elkhart, IN
The People You Know, Like and Trust!

Well I am glad it is worth learning, it looks like it does just about everything!  And I am learning!

Sep 02, 2009 11:15 PM
Kryste Adams
RE/MAX Key Properties - Luxury Homes, Golf Course Homes - Bend, OR
Bend, Oregon Real Estate

Good Advice, one again thanks for sharing.  Yikes, I have a lot to learn.  I have browsed through tons of Wordpress themes free and not free.  Not finding much I love, there are so many very busy and boring real estate themes out there will probably need to pay for something a little more hip.

Nov 22, 2009 03:06 AM
Lane Bailey
Century 21 Results Realty - Suwanee, GA
Realtor & Car Guy

Thanks - I have a few a few favorites...  Some are paid, others are free. 

Nov 23, 2009 12:14 AM