Reciprocal link exchange refers to a mutual link between two websites. Link building is a key part of an effective search engine optimisation (SEO) campaign as search engines analyse the number of links to a website. An inbound link is seen as an indicator of the popularity of a website and a greater number of links can gain a higher position in search engines and subsequently bigger exposure.
Reciprocal Link Exchange: How To Get Started
Any attempts at reciprocal link exchange have to be well managed and planned as reciprocal link exchange can not only be time consuming, but also ineffective if the link is not of relevance.
- Identify websites that have a high pagerank as search engine algorithms give greater credence to sites they already value.
- Ensure you seek a reciprocal link exchange with a website that has similar content. Don’t try to link to a butchers website if you offer vegetarian gourmet meals.
- Locate where you plan to plan to place the outbound link on your own site to complete the reciprocal exchange.
- Approach the website owner and discuss the possibility of reciprocal link exchange.
- Do the deal, exchange links ensuring that you both comply.
Reciprocal Link Exchange: Do You Have The Time?
As touched upon above, reciprocal link exchange is a time demanding exercise. As a minimum you have to identify likely places to exchange a link, you must look carefully and check that you have a mutual interest in terms of content (also check you are not competing). You then have to make contact and reach and agreement and finally you have to update your own website with the outgoing link.
Reciprocal Link Exchange: Discriminate or Blanket?
A large scale manual reciprocal link exchange is not really a viable option as it will be too time draining. Automated reciprocal link building is an option via an online service or a downloaded application.
However, and this is a however worth paying attention to, an automated reciprocal link exchange approach is one that should be taken carefully, if at all. The glory days of the innocent reciprocal link exchange have steadily been eroded, (largely) gone are the days when two websites could help each other promote their online presence.
Many search engines will penalise a website (until true validity can be confirmed) for growing the number of links, reciprocal or not, too quickly. Also, any irrelevant reciprocal link exchange that clearly does not share common content will be flagged up as spamming the search engines.
An automated reciprocal link exchange option may also open you up to email spam, an unrealistic workload and irrelevant linking.
Reciprocal Link Exchange: Cherry Pick Links of Value
When carrying out a reciprocal link exchange campaign, a selective and directed approach will gain better results each time. One good link is worth ten bad ones.
Search for sites where you would be proud to be listed, equally ensure you would be happy linking out. Make time and manage you reciprocal link exchange.
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