Google frowns on reciprocal linking
Aus Salespoint
This is a topic that every person appears to homepage backlinks be arguing about at the moment. Everyone trying to second-guess Google's actions - which they will By no means do - and questioning regardless of 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 right here) a link directory on my site until not too long ago, but I have now removed it, simply because it had grow to be as helpful as a chocolate teapot.
Whilst the principal front page of the site has contextual homepage backlinks retained it is Google PageRank of PR5, in 1 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 internet sites, kept the number of links per page down to a minimum and there were even text descriptions for every single entry listed.
Google could tell what it was and acted as they link building packages saw fit.
There is no point questioning or whining about it. They can and they are performing so in order to offer far better results to searchers. You can like it or lump it, but if you want them to give you decent listings, ranks or send you any visitors, their guidelines count.
My guidance: forget *artificial* reciprocal linking completely. The time taken to maintain the directory, approve/disaprove submissions (mainly the latter, simply because the only people still asking for links are crappy PR0 sites and spammers) can be much much better spent.
When you want to exchange links with other web sites, make certain you do so in a natural way, by which I mean write about the other website in some way and place natural links within the physique text.
And think about just giving to get. By which I mean, link out to helpful items for the edification or entertainment of your guests giving no consideration to the instant usefulness of that link to you.
What goes around will come about. The moment you are observed as helpful, other people will link to you. You do then get your links "reciprocated", but it may not be from the same folks to whom you linked.
That is the natural way of linking that Google desires to see.
Do not, under any circumstances, sustain something (other than internal navigation) that could appear like merely a list of links / link farm, due to the fact Google will come across it, won't like it and will penalize it.
Reciprocal linking, in the form of lists or directories merely created for that very objective can't do something to support you with Google (really the opposite, in fact) and consequently, est mortuus. [RIP]
