With reciprocal linking you as an SEO consultant or web site owner have more control over the quality and quantity of the text links obtained. Unfortunately if you are starting with a low PageRank (PR) website finding quality reciprocal link partners is practically impossible. Every low quality website owner and their dog seems to be the main users of reciprocal linking rather than the sort of websites you want links from. Those would be popular websites with reasonable PR webpages that have been online for years, good luck finding those link gems. How to Ask for Reciprocal Links If you’ve owned a site for more than a week you’ve had the reciprocal link SPAM emails. “Saw your great site and […]
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Google Penalty for Reciprocal Linking
An SEO client asked a very good question regarding reciprocal linking. A link partner had removed their link because they believed they (the link partner, not our client) had received a Google penalty for reciprocal linking.
Here’s what I told the client:
It’s an SEO myth that they are reacting to.
Basically the belief is reciprocal links are downgraded and possibly penalized by Google (lots of people believe this).
It’s a very easy trap to fall into, a site embarks on a large reciprocal links campaign and gains say 50 PR4+ reciprocal links mostly from reciprocal links pages.
Most webmasters assume by reciprocal linking their PR will increase along with Google rankings. The reality is reciprocal links aren’t a particularly good way to increase PR or search engine rankings UNLESS you manage to gain more PR from it (rare).
A few months pass by and very little happens or some SERPs drop, conclusion Google penalty for reciprocal linking.
That’s how the SEO myth starts that Google penalizes reciprocal links.
The reason why reciprocal linking is unlikely to increase PR:
When you link from a PR4 page and receive a PR4 link back the PR gained/lost (one partner gains one partner looses) is minimal. So unless you are always getting higher PR links in return your PR does not increase OR decrease significantly.
This then only leaves the anchor text from the reciprocal links which will help, but because you don’t gain extra PR (or could loose some) it’s not as effective as one way linking.
There is nothing wrong with reciprocal linking, but don’t expect significant PR or SERPs increases.
David Law
Google Penalty for Reciprocal Linking
Good Reciprocal Links
Very interesting information for an SEO newbie like me. I have been looking for a site that I can get a sitewide link on, but obviously it needs to be a good site, good PR and VERY closely related site.
Hope im doing the right thing.