Is There Any SEO Advantage or Harm of a Backlink Within an Image?

Levi
hi guys, I've a directory website and I'm thinking of offering an image widget to the members to place on their own home page, to show they are listed on our directory. Members have asked for it and it's good as it helps us generate more backlinks. Is this something we could get a penalty for? And there would be no anchor text just purely a bit of html that references an image on our server that is clickable to their profile. I think it will be good as we will get deep linking to our site and helps them get their listing indexed as well. Anyone got any thoughts on this? Can it harm Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
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is there any seo advantage or harm of a backlink within an image

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Bennett
Not at all. Every membership organization would receive a penalty. Every charity. Go for it. It’s no different than footer credits.
The only drawback, would be an Adsense penalty, if pharma, adult, or payday loan sites give you a link.
John
Your good. Implement your alt tag and use microformatting. That's all and your upgrade ideas should keep flowing.
Alistair
I also have an image that my directory clients get. They copy their own code into their site. It generates the image but if clicked on opens their listing in the directory. 2 way link juice flows.

John » Alistair
you offer it as a reciprocal option? Make sure you implement your links with relevancy. Your directory clients can unintentionally bring negative link flow. Screen your submissions. Interaction is gold, get those people to describe their business with 300+ words. I had a directory . niche based is best.
Alistair » John
My directory only allows one QUALIFIED and approved business per category/per city. We currently have a maximum of 1,500 categories per city and over 5,000 cities worldwide in play. We are currently getting over 15,000 unique visits per day. The image is offered a purely optional item for those who want to utilize it on their own websites.
Levi ✍️
Wow that’s impressive we’ve gone laser focused on a single niche with ours
Alistair
We go to multiple niches. We have 100.000 articles many of which hit Page One and everyone links to clients that are in that category worldwide.
Bennett » Alistair
nice. Deep linking is a superstar idea. Rock on. Would you be willing to share your html in a PM by chance? I meant the html code that gives them a link to their specific directory listing. If that can be auto generated, it would be amazing.
John » Alistair
very nice your into a similar strategy but prob diff niche. One just wonders what made you come up with this so-so business. Lol. Nice website. Keep going. You will make it. I promise.
Alistair » Bennett
it is auto generated linking the code to their unique member listing but it is a propriety code so I am sorry but it is not for general viewing.

Levi ✍️
im thinking of having a form that the user enters their profile link and then it generates the html code but I am worried that is overly complicated for some people! And some people will not enter the link correctly… I think instead a small button on each listing saying, generate your widget.. Then the user just hits one button, then provides their email address and the html code is auto generated and sent to them. I'm thinking of the html generator having a variety of links, so it can link to https://domain.com or https://www.domain.com or https://www.domain.com/ whats your thoughts?
Also each listing does have a link to their own site so it is possible Google could see this two link as reciprocal? Would making the links I send out no follow prevent any issue?

John
GuyLevi yes you can nofollow or insert a link disbane markup.

Daniel
I am thinking in all of this and I am reading all your comments and all of you are talking about inbound links pointed to the listing but I ask: what do you want to rank? The individual business listing page or the niche – city – directory where? For example if you have a plumbing directory and have a business to list in New York, you may want to rank the www.plumbing.com/new-york/ not the especific page for that plumbing bz. So isn't better to try point the links to www.plumbing.com/new-York/???9
Plumbing Supplies, HVAC Parts, Pipe, Valves & Fittings – Ferguson
FERGUSON.COM
Plumbing Supplies, HVAC Parts, Pipe, Valves & Fittings – Ferguson
Plumbing Supplies, HVAC Parts, Pipe, Valves & Fittings – Ferguson

Alistair
My directory site ranks the site/article on the search engines. When clicked on, the page opens to reveal the article and in that unique page, every member that has that category anywhere in the World is shown to the viewer. E.g a plumber in Sydney Australia will show alongside one in New York. The viewer will click on the geographic link that is of interest to them and then see all the details of the local business,
Daniel
Interesting way for building a directory but 2 questions: 1º Still you dont answer my question, when you get a inbound link from a business this links is point to the article or the business listing? 2º By this way aren´t you losing the advantage for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) of having a lot of listings on a page?
Alistair » Daniel
as I rank on page 1 of Google for multiple searches I do not lose any SEO advantages. All links flow from the articles then the listings are internally linked to the relevant article. Each business has it's own internal webpage to show visitors their offerings plus more
Levi ✍️
Simple answer. Both! I want to show that if someone is thinking of using "plumber Dave" then if they search plumber Dave to do their homework on him and our directory site says "Read reviews about plumber Dave" there gonna click it. Especially if out ranks their own site. The business will want to claim it. But also if someone is randomly searching for plumbers mytown they will flow to the site as well so they can pick cold traffic up.

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