Is 3 Way Linking Acceptable to Google?
Back in July 2007, I had written an article on the old, now redundant blog about link building and, since that time I’ve done a lot of research but also had some negative results on my blog that has made me rethink the whole 3 way linking strategy.
I suppose the question isn’s so much “Is Link Building Unethical” as much as it should be “Is It Acceptable To Google,” and the other search engines for that matter?
First of all, let me go over my history of using a three way linking strategy on my blog:
I was one of the early adopters of 3WayLinks back in July 2007 and in a few months, my blog went up from a PageRank 5 to a PageRank 6 and, as you can imagine, I was ecstatic!
Weeks later, it went back to a PageRank 5 and after weeks of scrathing my head, I discovered that having moved my blog to a new server, I had forgotten to add the resource link to the bottom of my blog which displays all the sites I was linking to in the 3 way links network and, without my knowledge, I was kicked out of the network.
So, I thought, Google must think I’m playing games here … 170 links here today … 170 links gone tomorrow. Of course it looks suspicious! Even I would ban me! Okay Google, don’t take that as red! 
I of course added the link to the bottom of my blog, sent a support ticket to the team over at 3waylinks.net and I was now back in the network.
A couple of months on and my blog has now gone down to a PageRank 3! It hasn’t been that low for what feels like an eternity.
Now, I’ve no doubt I’m going to get comments like “why should you care about PageRank” and, “PageRank doesn’t matter anyway.” Well, you keep thinking that … it matters to me!
But that aside, the only thing I could think of (and that’s not saying it’s correct) was my three way linking strategy.
What Is 3 Way Linking?
For those of you who may not know what a three way linking strategy is, it’s a system that uses a method of linking where site A links to site B, site B links to site C, and site C links to site A, like this:
Therefore, rather than one site benefitting from a one-way link, all 3 sites get what Google sees as a one-way link to their web site.
This also differs from the old reciprocal linking method, where site A links to site B and site B links back to site A, a strategy which Google seems to no longer value.
The power of linking three ways is that Google sees each link in the 3-way link exchange as a one-way link and gives it the same full ranking value of a one-way link.
So the story goes anyway. And, I say story, not to discredit the validity of 3 way linking, but more to question whether this really is an acceptable strategy by Google.
Well, at the time, I spoke to a good friend of mine Srini Saripalli who had implemented a 3 way linking strategy to one of his blogs which, in a short period of time, lost it’s PageRank entirely.
So naturally, this not only got me thinking, it got me worried and so I searched the Internet for information on whether this strategy was good or bad and of course, you have the extremist on each end of the scale … those who bless the day 3 way linking was born and those who curse it.
But the most interesting site I came across was a page on … Google’s Webmaster Central. Whilst the article is mainly in reference to paid links, Matt Cutts makes it clear that “Google’s official quality guidelines have advised “Don’t participate in link schemes designed to increase your site’s ranking or PageRank.”
I personally now believe that 3 way linking is one of the very schemes Google is against since ethical or unethical, it is a scheme designed to increase your sites ranking or PageRank.
Now, I’m also going to say this …
“The Proof Is In The Pudding.”
Not a technical blog term I know, but had I not been slapped twice by Google, I would have had no cause for concern and, in the past when other sites were moaning, Google was loving me!
If you’re asking why my blog went to a PageRank 6 initially, I think my only logical explanation is this:
Google hadn’t caught on to the 3 way linking strategy I’d implemented back then and just saw each link as a one-way link. It’s also interesting that my second “slap” followed shortly after I’d published an article about 3 Way Linking (again on the old blog). Did I hand it to them on a plate? Did I expose myself to Google? Who knows!
The Google Bots may not be that intelligent to spot the linking strategy but Google uses human eyes to spot violations of their guidelines too.
Anway, after these series of incidents, I cleaned up my blog and, as you know, this blog is “fresh, fresh, fresh!” No sign of any 3 way links or any other link inflating schemes around here.
At the time, I was actually a member of two 3 way link networks and removed myself from both and I also removed the links pages from my site.
Google and the other search engines will be please to know that I’m sticking to practices that build my links naturally and, I’m sleeping so much better at night.
The tortoise won back then and he’ll win again!!
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Hey Trish,
Don’t know how I got here but there must have been a road I got on to find your kingdom. I have used 3 way links for a very long time. But I have used them in a good rounded mix of linking never had a problem.
You are right to say it is a concern that you lost page rank, we also lost some around the first of the year.No problem though page rank has a very minute effect on authority, linking does. To me page rank is more of a status thing and people do look at it as such that is why it is important.
It is very important to use as many different venues to link to to make it look natural. Deep linking is a subject that I have been trying to sink in to peoples heads for quite sometime now. Some get it some don’t maybe it is too easy to understand. Deep Linking, totally a must do. Nurture and grow authority on your site as a whole not just your domain.
The question I have is passing power since we are talking about healthy linking. My focus has not only been on deep linking but “re=nofollow’ also maybe you have an answer since this is all along the lines of linking. Nofollow links stop the tiny bit of link from being passed to the reciprocating site, and that is it. But I can’t find where Google has ever said that your site looses link juice using follow links. All of the testing that we have done indicate that there is no penalty for having follow links. The only reason for having nofollow links is to prevent spammers to gain link juice as far as I can tell. But maybe you have a different answer.
Hook yourself up with not only Google Analitics but Google Webmaster Tools. This allows you to see allot more of the fickle Google indexing. I was amazed at the little things that need to be fixed, I feel now that I have a definite advantage
Thanks for such a comprehensive response and thought provoking questiions, Brad. I’m pleased 3 way linking is working for you and I’m sure there are others with success stories both short and long-term using this strategy.
Your question re nofollow is a really interesting one and one that get’s a lot of attention but it seems no one agrees. In fact, I was on Matt Cutts blog in the early hours of this morning (prior to receiving your comment) and I found this very interesting article that I think might interest you:
http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/quick-comment-on-nofollow.
I personally don’t nofollow my comments but I do nofollow external links mainly because of the issues with spam and not pagerank leakage.
I totally agree with your comment about Google Analytics and the Webmaster tools by the way Brad and I learnt a huge lesson from my recent experience of being hacked. Had I been making proper use of these tools, I would have noticed a lot sooner that someone had taken over pages on my site.
This will be the subject of an entire blog post in the near future and what I did to recover my pagerank and more importantly, getting re-indexed by the search engines.
Hope the article re nofollow helps Brad.
All the best,
Trish
First off, thank you for the post. I have been moving up and down for the past month on google. I have been as high as page one number 6 and now dropped to page 2 and with another main keyword page 4. My SEO guy says DO NOT DO the linking trick. He warned me that I would get hammered soon. But all the ones that moved above me out of nowhere are doing it. I will sit tight and buy my time. TY
Trish,
Thanks for the advice. I’m just starting to build backlinks to my site. I was wondering whether or not these types of links were OK with Google or not. Sounds like it’s better not to try and game the system.
Ya I really glad to say thanks for this stuff because i am really confused about 3 way link stratergy before reading your post by finally i know google is smarter then us so it is now on top
I have found that using the angela’s backlink packets and so forth are amazing but only half get indexed. So what I recommend is taking the more optimized sites and using the yahoo backlink command to replicate their backlinks.
.-= jeremy´s last blog ..The Health Care Reform Effect on States =-.
Hi Trish, refreshing advice re three way linking, it’s certainly food for thought, it’s almost as if google has an inside track on anything semi automatic but then again l am a firm believer in just doing very thing naturally.
The problem is when faced with starting and researching a new niche market you would like to dominate linking is a big part of getting up on that first page, especially when you have checked the competition out and find that they have several 1000 links and it can seem a mountain to climb before you see any progress……so what if any is the alternative?
I ensure that everyone l do now is all original and natural and it seems to be having the desired effect and google are now rewarding me with more traffic better rankings etc……..regards Pete
The best way to get good backlinks is to produce really good unique content and then get that content out in as many forms (video, articles, podcasts etc) as possible so you get people talking about you.
Make use of Social media sites but be objective with your time and you will start to see results. Whilst I know others who defend 3 way linking, the trouble is, the minute you stop paying for the service, you lose thee links and so it’s not as though you can begin your link building by utilizing these services and then stop – you’re in it for the duration.
Hope this helps Peter, Trish
I do agree like mentioned that Angela’s packets have helped the best for me. But I do agree, natural link building is best.
Hi Charles,
The truth is, it’s not if, it’s when Google catches up with the 3 way linking tactic being used. Your SEO guy gave you the best tip … build links naturally and and you have everything to gain longer term. Build links through gaming the system which, is essential what 3 way linking is and, you’ll have to be on the lookout all the time.
I’d sit tight as you suggested.
Trish
My personal feeling about these things Mike is that they leave “footprints” and Goole can track them even after years of people using them successfully. That said, I there doesn’t appear to be a huge response by people losing ranking because of using 3 Way Linking strategies and whilst I’m not backtracking, I’m just wondering if I was unlucky. Still have no intention of going back to doing it though.