Do the search engines give any credence to exchanging links?

Well, this depends on who you listen to.  Some search engine optimizers will tell you that you're wasting your time with reciprocal linking strategies since backlinks are king  Others will tell you that reciprocal linking is a thing of the past and then there are those who suggest it's about striking a balance.

So, why link to other websites in the first place?

I think this is the question that needs to be answered before determining whether a) it's worth linking to other websites at all and b) what kind of links the search engines prefer.  And in my view, the undisputed reason for linking to other websites is to generate more traffic so you sell more of your products and services.

More links, results in more traffic, more traffic means more sales and more sales means more money in the bank right?  Right!  So the whole purpose of reciprocal linking is more than just "link popularity" so you get indexed by the search engines. But there are a few things you must be aware of when developing your link exchange strategy and you must first of all be aware that …

Not all links are created equal!

Website linking is more than just about "I'll link to you if you link to me" because in doing so, you could potentially damage your website rankings but not necessarily in a way that SEO experts have suggested.  For example, some will suggest that each time you link to another website, you give away votes therefore devaluing your PageRank.  This has led to some Search Engine Optimization experts discouraging external linking at all.  So, this led me to ask the question,

Is reciprocal linking dead?  

There are definately those who will tell you that reciprocal linking is a thing of the past, but I happen to agree with Eric Ward who explains that there are a number of factors to be considered when exchanging links, but least of all is the fact that the more links you have from "relevant and related" websites, the more targeted traffic you are likely to receive which as Eric explains, could be more beneficial in the long run than simply trying to improve "link popularity."

My suggestions is that you head over to WilsonWeb.com and read Eric's article for yourself.  And then once you've done that, create a plan on how you are going to increase links to your website in so you increase more traffic.  Your plan should include reciprocal link exchange strategies as well as backlinking, for example from posting articles in online directories, web PR and of course blogging. 

All the best,

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