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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
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    33

    * SEO one way links.. or two way linking...?

    A client of mine bought SEO advice from an SEO consultancy.

    Part of their advice was to engage in getting linkpartners, i.e. get them to link to you, and you will link to them from your site ( on a links page ).

    But, I am not convinced this is good advice and may actually penalize.

    My understanding was always that in Google for example you get a one-way link in from other sites, that ranks you higher than if you link back to all of them - ie. a two way link.

    What is the experience of SEO savvy people here?

    Am I out of date?

  2. #2
    It's generally understood that link exchanges are no longer an effective link building tool. Like every other resource available to us, they have been vitually flogged to death. And Melnel (for one) will tell you that Google has devalued them to the point that they no longer work. He may be right, he may be wrong but the real issue is the risk factor.

    No one does link exchanges any longer. The reason for this is that you get penlised if you link out to the wrong sites and web masters (looking for link exchanges) who don't understand this, run a better than average chance of getting themselves into deep deep trouble.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Bangkok Thailand
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    one way link only (Back links) but back link will be wonderful on High PG
    or same content link.

    2 Way link not affect but users more see.
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  4. #4
    A two way link from highly relevant sites that may help your users will be benefical, a 100 two way links from link pages of unrelatesd sights will be useless.

    Two way linking is about relevancy and user journey, if you get that right it should have some effect on SEO.

  5. #5
    Would you exchange links with someone who crosses his eyes and whispers "trust me"? I wouldn't. But each to his own. Linking out can be terminal but as every smoker says "why pick me"?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Posts
    33

    Why two way?

    Thank you for the replies.

    this charming manc wrote:
    Two way linking is about relevancy and user journey, if you get that right it should have some effect on SEO.
    Yes grasshopper

    I understand why one way linking increases pagerank.

    But I don't see why links both ways with relevant sites is better?

    Any links to official sources on this, or detailed articles? I really do want to make sure I have some concrete data / information on this.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
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    Central PA
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    Quote Originally Posted by rainchild View Post
    It's generally understood that link exchanges are no longer an effective link building tool. Like every other resource available to us, they have been vitually flogged to death. And Melnel (for one) will tell you that Google has devalued them to the point that they no longer work. He may be right, he may be wrong but the real issue is the risk factor.

    No one does link exchanges any longer. The reason for this is that you get penlised if you link out to the wrong sites and web masters (looking for link exchanges) who don't understand this, run a better than average chance of getting themselves into deep deep trouble.

    8 out of 10 times I will agree with you, but I can not agree with you on this. I don't understand why you say words like "generally understood" and "no one does link exchanges any longer". I don't know where you are getting this from or if you are really trying to start a trend here or something all by yourself in 1 forum. I work with several SEO firms and EVERY one of them use link exchange practices "EVERYDAY".

    here is the actual guidelines set forth by google and the link (last updated in June)

    Link schemes

    Your site's ranking in Google search results is partly based on analysis of those sites that link to you. The quantity, quality, and relevance of links count towards your rating. The sites that link to you can provide context about the subject matter of your site, and can indicate its quality and popularity. However, some webmasters engage in link exchange schemes and build partner pages exclusively for the sake of cross-linking, disregarding the quality of the links, the sources, and the long-term impact it will have on their sites. This is in violation of Google's webmaster guidelines and can negatively impact your site's ranking in search results. Examples of link schemes can include:
    • Links intended to manipulate PageRank
    • Links to web spammers or bad neighborhoods on the web
    • Excessive reciprocal links or excessive link exchanging ("Link to me and I'll link to you.")
    • Buying or selling links that pass PageRank
    The best way to get other sites to create relevant links to yours is to create unique, relevant content that can quickly gain popularity in the Internet community. The more useful content you have, the greater the chances someone else will find that content valuable to their readers and link to it. Before making any single decision, you should ask yourself the question: Is this going to be beneficial for my page's visitors?
    It is not only the number of links you have pointing to your site that matters, but also the quality and relevance of those links. Creating good content pays off: Links are usually editorial votes given by choice, and the buzzing blogger community can be an excellent place to generate interest.

    http://www.google.com/support/webmas...ge&topic=&type
    ______________________________________________________
    So after reading all of this, basically link exchanges are definately good and you can do them all day long, but if they see an excessive amount they can penalize you.

    I have worked on sites with less than 100 pages, and have over 400 link exchanges all with in the same category, and this particular site is over 6 years old, and has 1st page ranking for over 80 keywords with more than 10 million results, and the only changes to this site has been link exchanges.

    So Rain, I have to disagree.
    Giving my opinions and thoughts the Moxie Way

  8. #8
    Thanks for clearing this up.

  9. #9
    Read my post and recognise that it is Melnel who claims that link exchanges have been devalued.

    To me its a non-issue. I never do link exchanges. Anyone who does needs their head read. You will always have two parties to this sort of arrangement. One of whom knows no better and the other who knows how to stay out of trouble. Guess who gets gets clobbered when someone in that chain loses their perspective and starts linking into sites no one wants to be associated with.

    There is a domino effect which can wipe out years of hard work. Try to understand that your link is a vote of confidence in the sites your partner is linking out to. Are you really going to take that risk? If so you have a lot more confidence and regard for the idiots who seem to think they can get away with it all. Look at the nonsense that keeps getting hashed and rehashed on this forum alone. Multiply it by every other forum you can think of and by comparison swine flu pales to a mere sniffle here and the odd snort there. There is a very simple rule. Don't link out unless you have a compelling reason other than building links.
    Quote Originally Posted by Moxie Maxwell View Post
    I work with several SEO firms and EVERY one of them use link exchange practices "EVERYDAY".
    Webmasters who will do anything for a link are a bad bet and link exchanges are passé amongst those who "know"

    Quote Originally Posted by Moxie Maxwell View Post
    here is the actual guidelines set forth by google and the link (last updated in June)
    Google provides you with guideline and when different people read them each one gets a different message. As far as I am concerned that post confirms everything I have said. Here is what is relevant.

    Quote Originally Posted by Moxie Maxwell View Post

    However, some webmasters engage in link exchange schemes and build partner pages exclusively for the sake of cross-linking, disregarding the quality of the links, the sources, and the long-term impact it will have on their sites.

    Links intended to manipulate PageRank
    Links to web spammers or bad neighborhoods on the web
    Excessive reciprocal links or excessive link exchanging ("Link to me and I'll link to you.")
    Buying or selling links that pass PageRank

    Before making any single decision, you should ask yourself the question: Is this going to be beneficial for my page's visitors?

    Does it not contradict everything you say?

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Central PA
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    Exclamation

    Quote Originally Posted by rainchild View Post
    Does it not contradict everything you say?
    Not at all, it tells you what type of link exchanges are bad and why they are bad.

    I don't understand why you have to be so demeaning by calling people names. If people don't know something, it doesn't make them "idiots" it makes them "ignorant". People are only ignorant until they learn. You, Myself, and a few other people here in this community know quite a bit about SEO and what is good and bad, but surely we can not help people with their personal knowledge growth by being insulting. So I guess I am asking you (publically) to consider how you post and your references. This will also help you become more valuable to all of us and this community. I love debating with you becuase you almost always have some evidence to back up your "theories" as do I.

    So lets keep the debates up, agree where we agree and be more professional and polite to our fellow WHTers.

    Lets be Positive
    Giving my opinions and thoughts the Moxie Way

  11. #11
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Ahmedabad
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    Thanks a lot moxie for sharing about link scheme

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Moxie Maxwell View Post
    If people don't know something, it doesn't make them "idiots" it makes them "ignorant". People are only ignorant until they learn.
    Moxie, moxie, moxie. Melnel might be old, he might be a grouch but he is neither ignorant nor an idiot. I did not call him an idiot. You are putting words into my mouth. You are also spending far too much time worrying about the dirt under my finger nails. Why don't you concentrate on the issue?

    Quote Originally Posted by Moxie Maxwell View Post
    Not at all, it tells you what type of link exchanges are bad and why they are bad.
    What type of link exchanges are bad. I am confused? Why are they bad?

    Quote Originally Posted by Moxie Maxwell View Post
    If people don't know something, it doesn't make them "idiots" it makes them "ignorant".
    You could also try explaining why there are so many ignorant people on these forums. Where do they get these crazy ideas?

  13. #13
    Join Date
    May 2001
    Location
    Houston, TX
    Posts
    195
    I believe there are different levels of risk when exchanging links with other websites. Exchanging links with a general directory and other non-related link exchange schemes is of the highest risk. Exchanging links with business partners that offer services or products you recommend is of lower risk. Exchanging links with websites that offer information or articles on your business are completely legit.

    One way links to your website are the safest as you have no control over who links to your site so I don't think the search engines can penalize for this. Unless the website linking to you has been involved in activities frowned upon on the past, there is no risk to you. Even at that, the link will not penalize you, it will just not count.

  14. #14
    If you want to do any sort of link exchange, I suggest you do a three-way link structure instead of reciprocal. There are actually some networks that handle this all for you automatically - all you do is add a page to your site and it will automatically handle finding the links, add them, and check up to make sure everyone is doing their part.

    Also, two-way linking is no obsolete. Google isn't the only search engine out there. And in my opinion, a link is a link - especially if it is from someone with a related website.
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  15. #15
    Why risk it? There are literally thousands of free resources you can chose from. Bottom line is that you don't want to link out to anyone who has no problem linking out to other sites. Sooner or later they are going to run into trouble. It's inevitable. And who are you going to blame when it all goes down the plug hole? It might not happen tomorrow, it might not happen the next day but it could happen at the worst possible time. Ask yourself who in their right mind sees any sense in building potential trouble into their business plan
    Quote Originally Posted by dbbrock1 View Post
    If you want to do any sort of link exchange, I suggest you do a three-way link structure instead of reciprocal.
    You link to their primary site. They link to you from a thow away domain. Makes perfect sense............... for them.

    Don't link out unless you really have a compelling reason to do so. It's such a simple rule.
    Last edited by rainchild; 09-02-2009 at 03:01 PM.

  16. #16
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    Mar 2009
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    33

    Still no closer to understanding..

    Quote Originally Posted by Moxie Maxwell View Post
    8 out of 10 times I will agree with you, but I can not agree with you on this. I don't understand why you say words like "generally understood" and "no one does link exchanges any longer". I don't know where you are getting this from or if you are really trying to start a trend here or something all by yourself in 1 forum. I work with several SEO firms and EVERY one of them use link exchange practices "EVERYDAY".

    here is the actual guidelines set forth by google and the link (last updated in June)
    Thank you for the link to the Google policy.

    But still, I am missing the answer to my original question, which is:

    Why might my linking to other relevant sites that also link to me, improve my SEO?

    I understand that it will help the Pagerank of their site that I link to them if I have high Pagerank.

    And that they linking to me will help my Pagerank.

    That is because we both gain one way links with potentially a high Pagerank.

    But why would the fact of a two way link itself help my SEO? Surely a lot of one way links are what are best, not two way?

  17. #17
    The answer is simple.

    There are those who believe they still work and those who believe they don't. But if, and there is a very big IF here, there is any value to be gained, its temporary at best and terminal at worst. You don't want to link out to webmasters who do not understand that you can trash your domain linking out to the wrong sites.

    What else can one say?

  18. #18
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Posts
    215
    A 2-way link from a relevent authority site can be a positive. You wouldn't want many though - ideally it's always better to have one-way links if you can.

  19. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by expo09 View Post
    A 2-way link from a relevent authority site can be a positive.
    You don't get "authority"sites doing reciprocal link exchanges. Show me one, if you can. Could you also explain what you mean by relevant?

  20. #20
    I’ve through the discussions, which would be of great help to the newbie’s. I believe one way linking is always better to go with.

  21. #21
    One way link is the best but if you have to exchange link, then exchange links with relevant sites with decent PR.

  22. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by VanNet View Post
    but if you have to exchange link, then exchange links with relevant sites with decent PR.
    How can you be so naive? Those are the last sites you want to exchange links with. No established site with or without PR is going to exchange links with you. So you can bet your bottom dollar that high PR sites still looking for link exchanges are high risk. Those are just the sort of sites you want to stay away from

    What do you mean by relevant? How do you define relevant?

  23. #23
    imho, bail on link exchanges. you'll get better performance from 1 genuine linkback than you will with 10 link exchange / link farm / cheater methods. my 2cents

  24. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by rainchild View Post
    Could you also explain what you mean by relevant?
    Well, a site that is based around the same niche is more relevent than a site about something completely different. Obviously it's not a great idea to exchange links with competitors. Authority sites might excahnge links if a link to you would benefit their visitors.

  25. #25
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Posts
    74
    I only build one way links ...

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