Does Google's Webmaster Tools discount link value?

[kgam]

We are all aware of the general nature of Google's PR calculation. Each link counts as a vote for the outbound link, with weightings for the number of outbound links, anchor text, trust ranking, etc.

We also know that Google has said that it tries to identify sites purchasing links and will discount those links/votes when found.

My question is about using Google's Webmaster Tools for multiple sites. If you claim multiple sites, whether or not you upload sitemaps, does Google discount the links/votes from one of these sites to the other? (i.e. Does using these tools hurt your/mine PR and SERP?)

[GlobalMedia]

I shouldn't see that being an issue, I have multiple clients, with and without site maps in the webmaster tools. All working relatively well.

Shane

[kgam]

Originally Posted by GlobalMedia

I shouldn't see that being an issue, I have multiple clients, with and without site maps in the webmaster tools. All working relatively well.

Shane

My point was not about having sitemaps versus not having them. My point was about claiming multiple sites under the same google webmaster tool account and whether Google would use that to discount the PR vote of links between the sites.

[kgam]

So, is Google currently doing this? If not, do yout think they will start?

From my experience, it appears that Google is already using the Webmaster's tools to identify sites that are controlled by the same person(s) and then devaluing links from one to the other. I have a very popular blog (PR6 with high internal PR rankings) that links to another ones of my sites. These links used to appear in Google as backlinks, but about 4 months after "claiming" them both in my Google webmaster tools, the backlinks disappeared from Google.

[kgam]

Continuation of the link and more replies at Webmaster World: http://www.webmasterworld.com/google/3137130.htm

[JeremyL]

If all of your sites are white hat, I wouldn't worry about it. More than likely Google already knows they are related. Whether it's though adsense, their ip's, their name servers, the box they are hosted on, or the whois.

[BJW]

Originally Posted by JeremyL

If all of your sites are white hat, I wouldn't worry about it.

I would agree with this as well. Although I did have the same questions just didn't ask it yet. I really hope this thread picks up and gets more of the "Experts" to throw in their voices.

BJ