“What is a reciprocal link?”
“Are mutual links effective for SEO?”
If you are reading this article, you probably have questions like these, right?
Reciprocal links are often cited as a way to acquire links, but many people do not understand the effects of SEO and how to acquire reciprocal links.
In this article, we will introduce the SEO effects of reciprocal links and how to acquire reciprocal links.
Please use this as a reference if you are trying to create reciprocal links to acquire links.
Table of contents
What is a mutual link?
Reciprocal linking refers to links between your site and another site.
Mutual links have the advantage of suggesting to users that the two sites are related, and can have an effect on SEO.
In the case of companies, the following websites are often linked to each other.
- Corporate sites and corporate sites of client companies and sponsor companies
- Service site and corporate site
- Interview/coverage content and corporate site
For example, reciprocal links with major companies or famous sports teams are typical examples.
In such cases, it is said that reciprocal links increase users’ trust in the company, which may increase users’ motivation to take action.
In the next chapter, we will explain the SEO effects of reciprocal links.
Please refer to it if you are thinking about acquiring reciprocal links as part of SEO.
SEO effect of reciprocal links
As mentioned above, reciprocal links can have an SEO effect.
This is because domain power may become stronger.
Simply put, domain power is an indicator of the strength of a website.
Google incorporates an algorithm called Page Rank in SEO evaluation, and it is thought that the higher the domain power, the higher the evaluation.
Domain power is determined by the number and quality of backlinks, so the more reciprocal links you have, the stronger your domain power will be, and your SEO rating may improve.
However, it is not enough to just collect links indiscriminately.
It is difficult to increase your domain power unless you receive backlinks from websites with higher domain power than your own site.
Therefore, when creating reciprocal links, we recommend giving priority to websites with high domain power.
Page rank is explained in a separate article on this site.
If you would like to know more about PageRank and its SEO effects, please refer to it.
What is page rank? Explaining the relationship, mechanism, and evaluation method with SEO
Effects other than SEO of reciprocal links
In addition to SEO, reciprocal links also have the effect of gaining traffic from other sites.
Links are the path from other sites to your own site, so by acquiring reciprocal links, you may be able to gain access from users you cannot reach on your own site.
If it is a reciprocal link between corporate sites, you cannot expect an increase in access, but if you create article content and link to each other, you can expect an increase in access.
For example, if you create the following content and have them link to each other, you can expect to increase access.
- Interview articles with your company’s business partners about their reasons for using your company’s services and their impressions.
- Articles introducing other companies’ services on your own website
Of course, the effect of SEO is important, but it is important to remember that there are other effects as well.
Are reciprocal links subject to penalties?
It is often said that reciprocal links may incur SEO penalties.
It is possible that you will receive a penalty.
However, there is no problem if it is a high-quality reciprocal link.
Although reciprocal links are mutual, they are also counted as backlinks, so if they are too malicious, you may be penalized.
Google clearly states that malicious links include the following:
Linking programs that can negatively impact your site’s ranking in search results include:
- Buying and selling links that transfer PageRank. This may include exchanging money for the link itself or a post containing the link, exchanging goods or services for the link, or listing a particular product and offering it for free in exchange for a link. This includes things such as sending by “.
- Excessive link exchange or creating Partner Pages solely for the purpose of reciprocal linking.
- Larger article marketing and guest posting campaigns with keyword-rich anchor text links.
- Create a link to your site using any automated program or service.
- Mandating links as part of specific terms of use, contracts, or similar arrangements without giving third-party content owners the right to choose whether to apply qualifying attributes to outbound links where appropriate. thing.
This shows that excessive reciprocal linking or creating partner pages solely for the purpose of reciprocal linking may violate Google’s Webmaster Guidelines.
However, as of 2021, Google has stated that malicious backlinks will have no effect on SEO.
However, if you link too maliciously, you may be penalized, so we do not recommend linking reciprocally.
How to get reciprocal links
Finally, I will introduce two ways to acquire reciprocal links.
Please check this to ensure that you have high-quality reciprocal links.
Method 1. Conduct link sales
Link marketing is the act of asking someone to post a link and having them post a reciprocal link.
If you have a website that is related to your company’s website or a website that you would like to mutually link, please contact the operating company and let them know that you would like to create a mutual link.
The specific steps are as follows.
- Decide which website you want to get backlinks from
- Contact the website operator to inform them that you would like them to post a reciprocal link.
Link sales are basically done via email.
There are several reasons for using email:
- You can specify the link format
- You can copy and paste, reducing the effort on the part of the other party.
- Our intentions and the benefits of linking to the other party are clearly communicated.
- You can check the contents at the time of the person in charge.
Since you are in the position of asking the other party to do link marketing, you should basically try to make it as hassle-free as possible for the other party.
It is also important to communicate the benefits of mutual linking to the other party.
For example, when asking about reciprocal links, it’s a good idea to mention that it has an SEO effect.
In order to succeed in link sales, it is important to successfully convey to the other party the benefits of mutual linking, even if it requires some effort.
When engaging in link sales, think about the people you are selling links to.
Method 2. Create high quality content
The second method is to create high-quality content.
By creating high-quality content, you will not only be able to rank high in SEO and gain backlinks, but if you get noticed, you may be asked to do interviews or interviews, and as a result, you may be able to link to each other.
If you are not yet focusing on SEO and want to acquire reciprocal links, it is easier to obtain reciprocal links by asking for coverage or interviews from your company and creating content.
We actually recommend this method because we have experience creating reciprocal links with major companies by creating coverage and interview-type content.
Although it takes more man-hours than link sales, there is a high possibility that you will receive reciprocal links, so if you want to definitely increase the number of reciprocal links, creating high-quality content is a good option.
[Summary] Correctly understand reciprocal links and improve your external evaluation
We explained the SEO effects of reciprocal links and how to acquire reciprocal links.
Reciprocal links are effective for SEO, but be aware that if you use them too much, you may be penalized.
To obtain reciprocal links, try using one of the two methods introduced this time.
If you feel that acquiring reciprocal links is difficult, you may want to consult an SEO agency.
Not only can you acquire reciprocal links, but you can also receive suggestions that are suitable for your company.
Excore, the company writing this article, is also an SEO agency.
We are now offering free website diagnostics, so please feel free to contact us.
