Is this the most dodgy link on the BBC ever?
SEOs always aspire to get client links on the BBC. It's worth it but it's not easy.
First off; you need the BBC to write about your client or write about a story in which your client is involved. Then the BBC has a strong tendency to link to the clients corporate site - many people say that's the BBC's policy, but I can't find that written down anyway.
I give you this story about a UK-based test of super fast broadband.
The companies involved in the story are: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), BT and Virgin Media.
It might come as a surprise that the BBC is linking to Opal (part of Talk Talk) in the related links section. It might come as even a greater surprise that the BBC is linking to a product page within Opal. It's linking to the product page using the money term keywords.
![](//4.bp.blogspot.com/_0mSxUthxKGI/S_J6dgIRSzI/AAAAAAAABuQ/xq3-eqP9Dg8/s400/bbc-link-of-doom.png)
What do you think? Is this an extremely curious choice of link by the BBC? Or is my SEO-addled mind seeing phantoms in shadows?
Update: It's the day after this post first went live; less than 24 hours later, and the link has been removed.
First off; you need the BBC to write about your client or write about a story in which your client is involved. Then the BBC has a strong tendency to link to the clients corporate site - many people say that's the BBC's policy, but I can't find that written down anyway.
I give you this story about a UK-based test of super fast broadband.
The companies involved in the story are: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), BT and Virgin Media.
It might come as a surprise that the BBC is linking to Opal (part of Talk Talk) in the related links section. It might come as even a greater surprise that the BBC is linking to a product page within Opal. It's linking to the product page using the money term keywords.
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0mSxUthxKGI/S_J6dgIRSzI/AAAAAAAABuQ/xq3-eqP9Dg8/s400/bbc-link-of-doom.png)
What do you think? Is this an extremely curious choice of link by the BBC? Or is my SEO-addled mind seeing phantoms in shadows?
Update: It's the day after this post first went live; less than 24 hours later, and the link has been removed.