Are reciprocal links (link exchanges) bad for SEO?

Beverly Level X³

June 18, 2012, 7:48 pm

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Are reciprocal links (link exchanges) bad for SEO?

I don't like doing link exchanges (with reciprocal links) as they are not best for SEO. Though sometimes reciprocal linking is unavoidable as is the situation when you swap posts with another forum owner and each person includes a link to their forum in the signature line.

To me, it just seems better to get one way backlinks. Those are less artificial than reciprocal links.

What are your thoughts on exchanging links?

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Beverly

Beverly

That's an interesting concept. If you have a highly ranked, high traffic site, i'm sure you would have many takers for such a one way link.

13 years ago

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crunkatlanta

crunkatlanta

I don't like doing link exchanges (with reciprocal links) as they are not best for SEO. Though sometimes reciprocal linking is unavoidable as is the situation when you swap posts with another forum owner and each person includes a link to their forum in the signature line.

To me, it just seems better to get one way backlinks. Those are less artificial than reciprocal links.

What are your thoughts on exchanging links?

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Figuring that to become effective.. you have to have several back links ... if you keep link exchanging . some search engines may say you have too many links on there...( guessing)
I rather stay away from it ...

13 years ago

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seoconsul

seoconsul

'They're in fact good, if they come from similar "authority" sites.

12 years ago

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Beverly

Beverly

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Figuring that to become effective.. you have to have several back links ... if you keep link exchanging . some search engines may say you have too many links on there...( guessing)
I rather stay away from it ...

And, i've read in one place on official Google TOS/guidelines where they consider some types of reciprocal linking to be bad. I can't remember the exact phrase, other than they mentioned how it's designed to trick search engines. So i guess too much of that could be a bad thing as you say.

12 years ago

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Corzhens

Corzhens

I think the reciprocal links or cross linking is not really that bad because it is just a tit-for-tat that is common to kind people. When a site posts a link on your site then you have the tendency to also make a post on his site and that constitutes reciprocal linking which is just a sign of courtesy and not of cheating. What I think that is bad is the link farm where many people are exchanging links for their own advantage.

6 years ago

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