Date First Published: 4th November 2022
Topic: Web Design & Development
Subtopic: SEO
Article Type: Computer Terms & Definitions
Difficulty: MediumDifficulty Level: 5/10
Learn more about what a reciprocal link is in this article.
A reciprocal link is an agreement between two websites that have similar content to manually link to each other, often with keyword-filled anchor text, with both website owners basically saying 'Link to me and I will link to you'. An external link is placed to another website and the owner of that external website links back to that website. Participating in reciprocal links can help boost the ranking of both websites in SERPs as the number of websites that link to a page is one of the main factors that Google and other search engines use to rank pages and determine the order they are listed. They also help to drive more website traffic to each site.
If a website does not link back, it is known as a non-reciprocal link.
Even though the act of two websites with similar content linking to each other is a good and ethical method of boosting the ranking of both pages in SERPs, excessive reciprocal links between unrelated sites created with the sole intention of manipulating the ranking of pages is a black hat SEO technique and are often considered a form of spam by users and search engines. Techniques used to artificially boost the ranking of pages through the number of backlinks pointing to a page are known as link schemes. These are strictly prohibited by Google's webmaster guidelines and websites caught engaging in link schemes will be penalised. In addition, anchor text that is suspicious or unrelated to the external links can result in a loss of trust by search engines.
Also, there is a chance of reciprocal links boosting the ranking of a competitor's website and only helping to push them up in the search engine results. Even though reciprocal links should ideally be with a website offering similar content, it is recommended to avoid linking to a competing website that uses the same keywords or keyphrases. Linking to a competitor's website will not guarantee a link back. It also doesn't guarantee that they will keep that link. Before linking to a website, always confirm that the linked website is not a direct competitor.
If so, it is important that you tell me as soon as possible on this page.
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