Why are reciprocal links still being used widely?
-
Looking at my competitors backlink profiles they all seem to have lots or reciprocal links and banner exchanges etc... I thought that only one way links really had any value. The reciprocal links they do have appear to be pretty spammy but the sites are still ranking well? Should I be adopting reciprocal links and banner exchanges. I know these strategies worked years ago but surely not in 2012?
-
From what I get out of Rand's comment above, there's no existing penalty in Google's algorithm for reciprocal linking. So it's a great idea, and yes jumping on board with the single goal of beating your competitors will get you fast results.
But those results might be short term if the reciprocal links you're involved with don't make sense logically. What happens if in a month the webspam team rolls out another Panda focused on devaluing any reciprocal links that don't appear natural?
Would you rather watch your competitors get washed off the first page, while you climb? Or join them in the rankings loss (and more importantly, traffic loss)?
-
I totally understand that reciprocal links have their place and it is normal for business to link to each other. What concerns me is that my competitors are reciprocal linking with the ONLY intention of swapping links (I can't see any other value in the backlinks I've examined) and that it appears to be working! These guys are outranking me and I worry that if I don't play the game their way I'll fall behind even further!
-
Exactly! Industry reciprocals are bound to happen. Why wouldn't you and your partners point links at each other?
It becomes a penalizable (new word?) problem when you over-do it or work it as a "strategy." Which worries me for you, Samuel, as you word the final question:
"Should I be adopting reciprocal links and banner exchanges. I know these strategies worked years ago but surely not in 2012?"
My answer would be, "No." You shouldn't be adopting a reciprocal link & banner exchange strategy. You should build a product or service that earns links and banners. And on your own site, you should feature businesses and websites that you respect and/or work with in your own banners and links. Point customers towards resources you're proud to recommend.
-
Great answer!
The Quality Guidelines state that excessive reciprocal linking is a no-no. But it doesn't tell you what qualifies as excessive. If you've got a few recips with some people in your industry that's a good thing!
-
Rand's answer to this question surprised me when I read it in the Monthly Moz-Letter from July. Short version: reciprocal links not working is a widely spread myth that even I believed** until reading this:**
Rand(om) Question**** Want to ask Rand your inbound marketing question? Send it toErica, our newsletter wrangler, and you might see your answer here next month.
Walter Hicks asks, "If a website has a backlink to mine, is it bad to link back to their site? Does Google see that as a reciprocal link and basically nullify them?"
Hi Walter,
This is such a common misconception that we put it on our list of top SEO myths (at #6 in this WB Friday video). Linking to a site that links to you has no negative impacts, and you shouldn't worry about doing so. The only caveat is the intent; Google's webspam team cares a lot about how you acquire links and why sites/pages link to each other. If the only reason you're getting a link is because you've agreed to link to someone, you're in danger and Google is working to stop those links from having an impact. If there's a legitimate reason for both to exist, you're on safe ground.
Wish you luck!
Rand
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
I am looking for a software to keep track of the back links or link building
Hi Guys, I am very new hear. I just joined. I have a few websites that I need to manage. I am looking for a software that will allow me to manually add the links that I have been able to acquire. It would also be a bonus if it could search for the links to my site and to see if its still active. Because I have a freelancer working a few hours a week on link building and I need to keep track of the links. I am looking for something simple and good. Any suggestions? By the way, I used Raven Tools many years ago, and it had this feature. But since joining Moz, I don't want to be paying for 2 subscriptions. And I don't know if Raven still has this feature. Your suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you. Ryan
Link Building | | RyanNewman0 -
Links
Hi, im wondering if links that is not exact anchor links gives any boost for rankings? Example if lets say somebody links to my site http://domain.com/category/article with anchor: domainname or url link.
Link Building | | Rob_I0 -
Link Auditing
Anyone have any useful ways to link audit? I'm stuck picking up the slack from a previous worker who decided buying links was a great idea for our clients.
Link Building | | CGR-Creative0 -
Editorial links
http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/1999/01/17484 how do you get a link from an article like this where the author writes for a high domain authority site and just ends up listing a lot of links to different companies?
Link Building | | JohnWalker0 -
Text Link vs image link?
Which passes most link juice a text link or an image with the correct 'alt' attribute? Do the pass the same amount or is one more valuable than the other?
Link Building | | SamCUK0 -
A good link builder / link building agency for Spanish content
Hi, I am looking for a good link building agency or freelance to execute a link building strategy for the next months. The content is in Spanish. Could anyone recommend me a good agency or a good link builder for Spanish content? Thank you very much! Jorge
Link Building | | jorgediaz0