One of the most common practices on the Internet today is the practice of giving a “link” back to the developer of a website, or of a piece of code as a way to say “thanks” and to recommend them to others. With the popularity of blogs and bloggers, the bloggers want to add cool new stuff to their blogs and yet they lack the coding experience to do it. So a developer comes along and builds a “FREE” widget. Widgets take only a second or two and the blogger has a REALLY COOL new tool on their blog.

Then their blogging friends see it and do the same thing. Imitation, after all IS the sincerest form of flattery! Soon an entire industry is using these widgets and there are thousands of sites linking back to this little old developer who smiles wryly and enjoys HUGE respect from the search engines due to his link popularity (a large component of the algorithm in many search engines). The search engines are giving the developer credit that he deserves for coming up with a popular widget. I have NO disagreement with the search engines doing this. It is well earned.

BUT what happens if that developer is your competitor? And what happens if they use that to attempt to rank in the search engines ABOVE you? Then, the price that you paid for that cute little widget that does something cool on your blog just got outrageously expensive both for you AND your industry. One more thing…When you install a widget, you are not giving them just one link. You are giving them a link from EVERY PAGE in your blog. That could be hundreds or thousands of pages! That better be one GOOD widget to be worth that! Here’s a case in point:

In the real estate industry, imitation in marketing tactics is rampant. I think the only industry that rivals it maybe preachers “borrowing” cute stories for other preachers in their sermons on Sunday. So Trulia decides to launch Trulia Widgets. They develop Trulia Stats and Trulia Maps and real estate bloggers start lapping them up. What the bloggers don’t realize is that they are linking back to Trulia multiple times on every page and post of their blog! Eric Bramlett pointed this out on the Bloodhound Blog and it has since been picked up on Active Rain and many other of the major real estate blogging platforms.

Trulia is using this newfound link strength to go after rankings on the search engines. Don’t believe me? Pick a medium size or small town in your area and type in City real estate or City homes for sale. Do it for a few cities around you. Now do you believe me?

THE TAKE HOME LESSON:

For the record, I am NOT saying that all widgets are bad. They are not! I think giving credit to the developer of a piece of code is a good thing (within reason). BUT I am saying that before you put a widget up on your blog and send a link to the developer from EVERY page in your blog, CHECK OUT who made the widget. Make sure that you are not handing a competitor your vote to outrank you in the search engines.

REALTORS: Take down your widgets that link to people who compete with you locally, unless of course you want to hand them the #1 spot on Google. Just friendly advice from someone who cares.