Is putting in for the Free Branding option worth it?

[webgeek247]

If by removing the copyright info it helps increase my rankings due to not linking to jelsoft, etc I will put in for it. If all it is is paying £80 just to remove copyright text I'll leave it though...!?

So, will I benefit by putting in for the Free Branding option? Yes or No?

[Zachery]

The copyright has no links, it does have a few words. Though im not sure how or why it would help your rankings,

[webgeek247]

The copyright has no links, it does have a few words. Though im not sure how or why it would help your rankings,

True, but the words are there permanently, surely Google, Yahoo, MSN and all other major Search Engines pick up that vbulletin isn't related to my Electronic Dance Music Website. That's what it's all about though isn't it - making sure you have right content and not linking to sites not related to your own etc...?

[webgeek247]

I'm linking back to vBSEO in the footer on my forum. Maybe I should remove that first and see if my ranking increases? lol

[Zachery]

For an SEO company they have an awful odd default branding.

[webgeek247]

I don't understand what you mean by that? Please explain...

[feldon23]

If having "vBulletin Copyright Jelsoft, etc." is bad for SEO (which I think is baloney), then why does vBSEO have such a large copyright notice?

[PcosKat]

If having "vBulletin Copyright Jelsoft, etc." is bad for SEO (which I think is baloney), then why does vBSEO have such a large copyright notice?

The op is asking about OUTBOUND links, not inbound.

Of interest:

http://www.agora-business-center.com/0106links.html

http://www.problogger.net/archives/2007/03/21/do-outbound-links-matter-for-seo-and-more/

Personally, I see no upside to removing the Jelsoft branding.

I know that when I search for a message board on a particular topic, I google it as follows: topic, vbulletin

Sometimes it's easier to get what I'm looking for if I start with message boards.

[Quillz]

I really don't see the branding free option worth the price, especially for the average consumer. It's really been geared more towards businesses and corporations that run a board on their intranet, for example, and want absolutely no third-party branding at all. By default, the copyright footer has no actual links to Jelsoft, and it hardly gets in the way, why would people want to spend so much money removing two small lines of text?

[Cyber Smoke]

It is my belief that this option is solely intended for the use at the boards of large companies/corporations, where their own products are the main focus of marketing and copyright affairs. What does a reference to "Jelsoft" do? It increases the company's potential to draw additional customers. Does it have anything to do with your own forum? No.

Removing that option on a medium visited forum that's not daily engaged in the business will have no effect. And personally, I wouldn't remove it even if it was a commercial site, simply because I like the product & wish to support the folks who are working on it.

[greersfos]

It may even be an advantage to leave the branding info. Your visitors will know you have quality software that is well maintained and that you are using the latest version.

I doubt that it makes any difference in your search engine rankings.

Jeff

[---MAD---]

I really don't see the branding free option worth the price, especially for the average consumer. It's really been geared more towards businesses and corporations that run a board on their intranet, for example, and want absolutely no third-party branding at all. By default, the copyright footer has no actual links to Jelsoft, and it hardly gets in the way, why would people want to spend so much money removing two small lines of text?

I agree. You can tell if a site is vBulletin forum very easily anyway (if you use forums often) .