Using reciprocal links the correct way
As i mentioned in 77 ways to get more traffic Reciprocal links happen when two sites link back and forth to each other. Often this happens when friends who both have websites link to each other — Alfie links to Billys’s website and Billy reciprocates by linking back to Alfie’s website.
Years ago, this SEO strategy was popular and widely used because, when search was less sophisticated, it worked. By allowing others to link to your website, you could quickly increase your sites search engine results page rank — therefore friends would link to each other just for the link, without any particular purpose or with any relevance in mind.
The Search engines didn’t like this, and as search algorithms became more savvy and complex, this strategy began to backfire, as “gaming the system” with fake links is widely frowned upon. In fact, some links became bad links and had very negative effects on some websites’ rankings. There are a number of websites that still warn you of the “dangers” of reciprocal linking.
Thus, SEO companies stopped using this strategy and website owners got anxious, and the reciprocal link strategy slowly disappeared. The thing is — Reciprocal links are still valuable when done right. You see, there are still instances when reciprocal linking is a smart for business, particularly when it’s used as an online business strategy to gain visibility in front of new audiences.
Just one well-organized inbound link from a strategic partner can produce an increased in traffic, a surge in viewer and subscribers, and new paying clients and customers, if done right. And it will do the same for them if you reciprocate and link to them as well.
The key is to find a strategic partner who shares the same ideal clients or target market as yourself, that offers a different or complimentary service, product, or program. By linking to each other, you’re sharing one another’s’ resources, content, and offerings with a pre-qualified audience that is already a great fit.
This approach works because the links are to relevant sites, or relevant content, which is what both consumers and search engines are looking for.
When Reciprocal Linking May Be Beneficial:
· A Garage and Tyre fitter who often refer clients back and forth should link to each other
· A designer and a copywriter who serve the same market may want to link to each other
· A car wash and windshield repair or dent repair company in the same city may want to link to each other
These examples are natural and they make sense. It’s very easy to see why they would be linking to each other, and the links could be considered helpful resources.
When Reciprocal Linking May Be Damaging:
· An orthodontist and a copywriter linking to each other because they are both chamber members
· A roofer and a publisher linking to each other because they are in the same networking referral group
· A florist and a tyre repair shop linking to each other because they are in the same shopping centre
When it comes to reciprocal links, here’s what you need to know: This isn’t a strategy to work as an easy SEO tool to build lots of inbound links from your friends and contacts. If the link seems forced, unnatural, or out of place, it probably is and should not be used.
This strategy is not only useful to gain visibility for your brand and business in a new group of ideal clients and customers, but also help your audience connect with and benefit from other relevant service providers, businesses, and retailers.
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