As it so happens, we have improved LinkPanel’s default label positioning for the next version. That applies both to child elements of the LinkPanel as well as for Nodes that are label nodes for the Link.
Could you provide a more specific example of a problem with the positioning?
As far as your DataTemplate is concerned, I don’t understand why you have an empty NodePanel in there. Given that it is empty, it doesn’t make sense for it to be the main element (i.e. by default the first element) of a SpotPanel. So then you can remove the SpotPanel from there as well.
But if you intend for the TextBlock to be the only child of the NodePanel, then the NodePanel isn’t offering any added value. Again, you might as well delete it, and just have the TextBlock by itself as the main element of the SpotPanel.