Reciprocal links: should we still share?

There was a time or exchanging links was very fashionable. Fairly easy to implement when enough to make a simple list of links in a partner page, then attended large volumes of trade, most of reciprocal time (you make me a link and I'll make a link ).

Yes but that was before ...

A reciprocal link, What is it?

It's simple:

• your site (A) is a link to the site (B)
• site (B) is a link to your site (A)

Why do link exchanges?

A long time ago (yes I'm getting old) we did exchange links because we liked to return the favor in terms of traffic when we had a site in the same theme as his "partner." That was in 1998. there was even " webring "to do that several (but no, it was not pig). A nice way to share visitors.

And Google has imposed its algorithm. We then "completely forgotten natural side" (pom pom) and continued to trade, but to manipulate the results, we received more links, the better it was positioned.

Then things changed.

The simple list of links stacked one above the other, the pages have changed partners, they are seen to enhance editorial content, images, which show their credentials to Google (like looks like she is useful and relevant my beautiful page .)
But even on these beautiful pages, the principle of reciprocity between the sites continues to remain.
And I'm not even talking about those crappy footers or links always stick together in a reciprocal manner with sites "friends" ...

Google is still fooled?

We know that Google is now able to trace the entire network of sites if they are not very well designed and stashed. So for him to realize that a link is exchanged as a result of both sides is a breeze.

And when you see how Google penalizes sites for less than that (links supposedly poor quality sometimes), one can legitimately ask what he thinks.

Just compare these two schemes to say that in one case, Google has no trouble finding a wolf.

Links pointing to the site, others leave, but where both sites have a reciprocal link are fairly low in terms of proportion. This is often true of sites run by webmasters with no particular desire to work their linking, people love Google because they do not seek to manipulate his beloved algorithm.

Another scheme, the SEO beginner who realized that inbound links are a good way to position. But since we do not get easily links against anything, well our beginner will make back links to its partners, to directories, etc.. and linking will look like the picture above.

Nan but what oil! (Allo is now a registered trademark ...)

Frankly, even if you're a machine (so not very intelligent by definition), the second example you are able to identify a few seconds (Yes, it's silly, but it calculates a machine quickly).

So your brain machine, you will say, "Ho ho, he took me for a knucklehead that one." In the best cases, you do not take into account these interrelationships in the calculation of the position, at worst downright you penalize the website (s) (s).

My observation

Having seen the manual penalties imposed for the practice of reciprocal exchange, I was fully vaccinated, I admit.
's rare site where I still have the case, it is this blog, and blogroll. What's worse is that these links are often reciprocal while they are in no way link exchanges, but real links made ​​because people believe the sites and therefore naturally makes connections (friends reflex).

My daily.

As any SEO, I spent part of my time looking for links to my clients. And though I often blocks is that my clients have no third-party site that makes sense to propose a link exchange from a site other than their money-site.

The goal is to ideally:

• (A) to (B) against (C) to (D) when you and a partner have two sites.
• Or worse: (A) to (B) and (B) to (C)

If I have any advice for your linking

You have a money site ranker, you will practice link exchanges, reciprocal exchanges flee . Even though it started from a natural idea, Google hates.

You may have some lying around, but it is not a good overall strategy. Ideally, if you have,they will be located in the content of the editorial pages, not partners pages or footers .

Besides, my friend Google told us here :

So it goes a little too it breaks ...

Okay so what do we do?

• Take the time to create a second small site (a blog for example), or even more to muddle.
• Do not be the same as your money Whois website (you never know).
• Treat only one theme . the same as your main preference site, this will help convince your future partners).
• Give him still quite pro look (if true partners and visitors will not trust ...)
• Host it on a server other than your money website (we do not know what the future).
• Do hardly any links from this blog to your money website (1 or 2 max, do not make a particularly strong links to your main site)
• This blog should produce interesting content, not content at a discount.
• It should not have THAT exchanged items , but also items without links or links to authority sites in its theme, for example. In short, what real items!

In conclusion

With this type of related site, you have a great tool to make link exchanges that will most directly reciprocal.

Of course, if you have more, it's even better. However always keep one thing in mind.When making an exchange, always ask yourself if it feels full SEO nose. If the answer is yes, there is a good chance that Google thinks the same .

And then your sites / blogs related topics should be interesting, useful to users who need to find information that bring them something. Do not consider THAT as trading tools, Google would probably even a day ...
Moreover, on these related sites, ask yourself whether you would have asked the link you exchange if it was not an exchange . If the answer is no, it may be better not to do it is.