Google frowns on reciprocal linking
Aus Salespoint
This is a topic that everyone appears to be arguing about at the moment. Every person trying to second-guess Google's actions - which they will In no way do - and questioning no backlink building matter whether reciprocal linking is dead, dying or if it is some thing worth carrying on.
'Nuff of the speculation. Here's the proof.
Google do not like reciprocal link directories and they can sniff one particular out a mile off. There was (notice the use of the past tense here) a link directory on my site until recently, but I have now removed it, due to the fact it had turn into as helpful as a chocolate teapot.
Whilst the primary front page of the web site has retained it really is Google PageRank of PR5, in a single of their last updates, Google relegated that directory, which had also previously had a PR5, to a PR .
Meanwhile, I had not altered my linking structure that pointed to it. I had not altered my policies either: I did not link TO any PR0 web sites, kept the number of links per page down to a minimum quality backlinks and there were even text descriptions for each and every entry listed.
Google could tell what it was and acted as they saw fit.
There is no point questioning or whining about it. They can and they are doing so in order to give far better outcomes to searchers. You can like it or lump it, but if you want them to give you decent listings, ranks or send you any traffic, their rules count.
My suggestions: forget *artificial* reciprocal linking completely. The time taken to keep the directory, approve/disaprove submissions (mainly the latter, since the only individuals still asking for links are crappy PR0 websites and spammers) can be much far better spent.
When you want to exchange links with other internet sites, make certain you do so in a natural way, by which I mean write about the other web site in some way and place all-natural links within the physique text.
And take into account just giving to get. By which I mean, link out to valuable things for the edification or entertainment of your guests giving no consideration to the immediate usefulness of that link to you.
What goes about will come about. Once you are noticed as beneficial, other people will link to you. You do then get your links "reciprocated", but it might not be from the same men and women to whom you linked.
That is the all-natural way of linking that Google wants to see.
Do not, beneath any circumstances, sustain anything (other than internal navigation) that could look like merely a list of links / link farm, because Google will discover it, will not like it and will penalize it.
Reciprocal linking, in the form of lists or directories merely designed for that really purpose can't do something to assist you with Google (really the opposite, google backlinks in reality) and for that reason, est mortuus. [RIP]
