Reciprocal Linking:

A Surefire Way of Getting The Visitors and Ranking You Deserve

Reciprocal linking has opened up a world of opportunities that online marketers can take advantage of. Try to mention reciprocal linking and you will be bombarded with interested persons who cannot wait to make the most of what this link building strategy has to offer.

Although there are lots of debate related with reciprocal linking, the positive results it brings overshadow those negative things some people are proclaiming. Bottom line is, the decision would have to be made by you. If you think reciprocal linking would do your business good, then there is no stopping you from reaping some of its benefits.

Here are some of the reasons why reciprocal linking can help your online business:

1 It helps you build link popularity, thereby increasing your site’s search engine ranking

Websites with a sufficient number of relevant back links are deemed as authoritative. Your site has a better chance of ranking high in the search engines if you have a lot of relevant links connecting to your site. To do this, you must remember to select only relevant sites in terms of topic and keywords which will complement well with your own search engine optimization strategy. The more specifically relevant the other website’s content is to your business, the closer the major search engines will associate your website to your targeted keywords.

2 It helps you attain good online relationship and help build your reputation and brand

In the online word, no website is an island, too. Every website exists to complement and be of service to other websites. You need to create and maintain a long-term partnership with other websites. This is called synergy, a harmonious give-and-take relationship from which both parties can benefit well from.

Who knows? A simple partnership for now may turn out to become something big later on. Keep in mind that there are always bigger possibilities to come. And you will probably not get them if not for the help extended by other online businesses.

3 It can get you more targeted traffic — the one that will bring you conversions!

The main purpose of reciprocal linking is to get more targeted traffic into your website. Think of it this way: If you are linking with a highly relevant website that gets loads of traffic, there is that big chance that some of them will be diverted to your site. Visitors who may be interested in the same products or services as the other site offers may become your own customers, too.

With reciprocal linking, Page Rank is somewhat irrelevant as compared to garnering a link on a page at a website considered as an authority in the industry it belongs to. What will you do with a high PR page that places a nofollow attribute to your link? With a nofollow attribute your link has zero value.

However, like any other internet marketing strategy, reciprocal linking also has its share of pitfalls. Oftentimes, website owners make the following mistakes thinking they are doing some good for their website when, in fact, they are just hurting their site’s search engine ranking. It is only later that they pay the price of their mistakes.

Do not make the same mistakes that other people made by reading the following common bad practices associated with reciprocal linking:

1 Exchanging links with just about anyone

So now you are getting a lot of requests for link exchange. Makes you feel important, doesn’t it? But then, what good will it bring you if the other website is not in any way related to your business? Nothing! As mentioned before, topical relevance is the key in reciprocal linking. The more relevant the two sites are, the higher the value the links they have in the eyes of Google, Yahoo, and other search engines.

For example, if you are a healthcare website, exchanging links with one that deals with fashion will definitely not work at all. It is, therefore, very important to always check what the other website is all about and then see if it will be beneficial for the two of you to share link juice.

Taking the time to check and doing your research will not only save you pain, but it will also be your assurance that you have only quality links that your site needs.

2 Linking with sites that have a large number of links on the page they will place your link

Have you ever checked what kind of page your site will be listed on when you agreed to link with other websites? If you are placed in page 50 or so, visitors will not really have the patience to browse up to that part. Bottom line? The exposure you need will not happen.

Choose link partners that will put you on a page one level from their site’s homepage. That means customers can see you right away without any trouble at all. Plus the link value provided will have a greater percentage than when you have to share it with a hundred other links.

Reciprocal linking is a surefire way of getting the relevant links that your website needs. You only have to know how to make it work to your advantage and avoid the pitfalls.