Random Links

[Cutter]

If you have a website with several hundred to several thousand pages, would it hurt to have 50 random links to the other pages on the site on every page?

By random, I mean generated each time the page is loaded?

My gut instinct (which I don't use often) says this could cause some problems and/or penalties at least with Google. I haven't read anything about this, nor do I want to test it on my own site right now :D

[r2d2]

Well, it will reduce your PR, but I cant see how you would be actually penalised?

Are you talking 1 link from 50 on a page, or 50 on every page?

[James]

It's not good to have excessively large amounts of links on your site. I'd say you'd be safe having 10 (if not just 5 or 6) external links randomly displayed on each page, but 50's a little excessive.

[Cutter]

Not external, but internal. And I mean 50 on each page.

Here is the problem, the site has several thousand pages. It is subdivided into catagories, but one catagory alone has over 2000 pages. Obviously, it makes no sense to have a page with 2000 links.

[James]

Well, then split it down to about 25 per page, or something like that. You don't need to show every single bit at the same time.

[r2d2]

Ah sorry, I must engage brain before reading questions!

Yes, if the problem is something like a category with 2000 pages, then as James says, split it down to pages of a certain number of links. As an example, my hand tools section (http://www.home-improvement-online.co.uk/tools/cat/Hand+Tools/) on my DIY site has about 2500 products, but I split it down to listing 10 per page, then list the pages at the bottom.

[Cutter]

Thanks for the responses guys!