Is Reciprocal Linking Dead?

This latest Google update affected a lot of websites that depended on their reciprocal linking approach...

If you have been reading some of the internet forums, the last Google update definitely induced rather a stir, and it has left a lot of people asking the question "Is reciprocal linking Dead?".

This newest Google update affected a lot of websites that depended on their reciprocal linking technique to rank high in Google.

If a webmaster wanted to outrank a competing site, They would function out how numerous links they required from diverse web sites with a certain PR rating and then commence a reciprocal linking campaign to out rank their competitors.

This technique was undoubtedly sound and was really effective. But most webmasters would swap links with anybody and everybody, so long as the web site had a Google page rank (the greater the greater).

Every single link swapped was a step toward ranking higher in the search engines and beating out their homepage backlinks competitors.

This technique may possibly have worked in the past when Google was not as intelligent, but it appears Google has wised up to this strategy. So, it is not surprising that as Google and the other search engines get a lot more sophisticated that the effectiveness of reciprocal linking has diminished as an crucial aspect for ranking effectively in seach engines.

Which brings us back to the question "Is reciprocal linking dead?"

As an alternative of asking your self if reciprocal linking is dead, you really should actually ask your self what outcome do you want to attain with your reciprocal linking method.

If reciprocal linking is your only method to rank high in the search engines, then you really should re-feel your method due to the fact reciprocal linking is not quite dead, but it has taken a huge hit.

I have not stopped my reciprocal linking techniques simply because I am aiming for the following outcomes:

1. To drive targeted traffic to my website from other relevant web sites.

2. To add worth to my guests by offering them links to internet sites that they may possibly be interested in.

3. If I rank larger in the search engines, then this is a bonus.

Ahead of swapping a link with an additional web site I am constantly mindful that if a visitor sees a link on my website, they correctly assume that I have suggested this web site to them, and, if the site I send them to is not relevant or quite good, then I loose credibility and a attainable return visitor.

Whenever I am going to swap links with yet another website I always ask myself the following queries:

1. What is the other web site about and does it compliment my quality link building web site?

two. Will my guests uncover this internet site beneficial to them?

3. What is the top quality of the content of the site?

If I believe my guests will discover this website useful I then look at the internet site from the webmasters point of view and ask myself the following concerns.

1. How will their guests locate my link? If a visitor can't find my link then how am I going to get any visitors.

2. Is there a link on their property page (preferably on all their pages) to their links directory?

3. Where backlink building service is my link going to be placed? Is it more than two clicks away from the property page?

four. Does the website have a sitemap and is the links page included in the site map?

If, and only if the web site passes the above criteria will I proceed with a link exchange.

A reciprocal Linking technique could not be as effective to rank high in the search engines, but it still is an crucial part of obtaining targetted visitors to your site if done correctly.