Dumb SEO Questions

(Entry was posted by Devin Peterso on this post in the Dumb SEO Questions community on Facebook, 06/10/2013).

A re-direct page instead of a direct link?

Here`s a dumb question for you all... I created a product page for a tent on my site and wanted to link to the manufacturers site for "Set-Up Instructions". Normally I just go ahead and do it as I should and all is fine and dandy. However, my dumb brainball got this idea where I would make a new page under my domain and simply redirect it to the manufacturers page, and then change the link on my product page to point to my own page, which redirects to the manufacturer page. Make sense? I know it`s a terrible idea... but what might the results be and is there ANY justification for doing this? Please be gentle on me, I`m experimenting/learning.
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YOUR ANSWERS

Selected answers from the Dumb SEO Questions Facebook & G+ community.

  • Rob Wagner: I don`t see any value in doing what you are describing. 
    What I would suggest doing is create a page that is better and more informative that the page on the manufacturing site. If you own the tent set it up and make a video about it. Make some detailed up-close images, detailed instructions, and any other valuable information. Make sure you have a link back to your product page so visitors can buy the tent.  If you don`t own the tent you can still write a killer article about it by creating a mashup of information that you find around the internet and then put your own take on it. Make sure you link to the sources that you use and give them the credit. Don`t just copy or spin the instructions. If you do it right you will rank in the SERP`s and others will link to the page. Great content finds a way. Just my 2 cents.
  • W.E Jonk: I don`t see why it would be a "terrible idea" because Google advice`s this with regard to paid links:
    Redirecting the links to an intermediate page that is blocked from search engines with a robots.txt file

    So sure go ahead and implement an intermediate page, just make sure it is blocked by robots.txt.
  • Devin Peterson: Thanks for all the input everyone, I suppose I`ll clarify a bit... The main purpose of this was to not pass pagerank to a site that sort of competes with me. I sell directly to consumers so it`s not an affiliate link or anything like that. I think I`m going to go with Rob`s initial idea and create a new page with my own instructions. It`s kind of tedious to do that so I was hoping to avoid it but I think it`s the best route for me to take in the end.
    Justin, getting additional page views by doing that was not a concern for me at all, it was more about the "link juice" aspect. In fact, I haven`t even thought of that until you pointed it out haha, although I suspect it wouldn`t add any benefits anyway.

    Thanks again!

View original question in the Dumb SEO Questions community on Facebook, 06/10/2013).