As a web designer, you may have come across the concept of a web design signature. This is a way of signing your work so that future clients can recognize your creations. However, as important as it is for branding, incorporating a web design signature can sometimes hurt your website’s SEO ranking.
In this post, we will look at ways to use your web design signature without hurting your website’s SEO ranking.
Understanding the Dangers of Web Design Signatures
Before we explore how to use your web design signature without hurting your website’s SEO ranking, it’s essential to understand why this practice can be harmful in the first place. The primary concern is the inclusion of multiple links pointing back to your own website. Suppose you add your web design signature to the footer of every webpage you create for a client. In that case, every page on your client’s site will contain multiple links that all point back to your website. Search engines may perceive this as spammy behavior and penalize both your site and your client’s site.
To avoid this penalty, it’s essential to follow best practices and use your web design signature strategically.
Include Only Essential Information
Instead of cramming your web design signature with your logo, website link, and every possible social media account, it’s essential to include only the most critical information. A logo and a link to your website are the primary essentials, but anything beyond that should be kept to a minimum.
Reduce the Number of Links
Even with the essentials, multiple hyperlinks pointing back to your website can harm your SEO ranking. Therefore, it’s essential to limit the number of links you include in your design signature.
Consider adding a “designer credit” link, which navigates to an “About Me” page on your website. This page can contain all your social media links and other information you may want to share with your clients.
Use a Nofollow Attribute
Another way to use your web design signature without hurting your SEO ranking is by adding the “nofollow” attribute to your links. The nofollow attribute tells search engines to ignore the links, and they will not pass any link equity to your website.
Incorporate a Script
A script is a code that automatically inserts your web design signature at the bottom of the client’s page. The advantage of using a script is that the signature does not show up in the page source code, so search engines won’t detect it.
However, using a script may not be ideal if future website owners want to remove your design signature. They may have to hire a developer to do so.
In Conclusion
Incorporating your web design signature into your client’s website is an excellent way to promote your brand. However, it is essential to avoid spammy behavior and follow best practices to protect your SEO ranking. Always keep in mind that the purpose of a web design signature is to brand your work and not overly promote your website.
By using only essential information, reducing the number of links, adding the nofollow attribute, and incorporating a script, you can use your web design signature without harming your SEO ranking.