SEO Blog

SEO is far from black and white. There are so many nuances and subtle tweaks that can make all the difference. There are also those techniques that are slightly risqué; not black hat, but certainly not white hat either. In short, there is a lot to learn about SEO other than what is immediately on the surface.

Let’s look at reciprocal linking. It is frowned upon by search engines, especially when it is done with the passing of money or other benefits. A site owner with numerous domains should certainly think twice about linking them all together, especially if they are hosted on the same server, under the same name. Search engines aren’t stupid and this kind of activity will lead to penalties.

But what about where it is a little less cut and dry? Is it possible to gain from reciprocal linking? Well, as we know, links are the lifeblood of search engines. They need them to navigate the maze of websites and to effectively index each page they encounter. So we know that having a strong link from a relevant source will bring authority with it.

We also know that Google likes it when websites offer links to elsewhere. It shows that they are an active contributor to the Internet. That they are willing to send visitors to another site who may be better able to help them. This is a definite two thumbs up from any search engine.

Ergo, reciprocating links with random sites shouldn’t be too bad. Well, it is and it isn’t. If they’re a client or customer, then it makes sense. Google will acknowledge the relevance and pass on strength accordingly. It is when you start getting into the murkier underbelly of reciprocal linking, getting thousands at a time from an equally diverse range of entirely unrelated websites.

A strong link is a strong link, there’s no two ways about it. If you are going to bend the rules to obtain one, don’t do it in such a way that will ring alarm bells with any site crawlers. You have to be prepared for a sting in the tale when it comes to getting links in any way that is neither natural nor logical in the eyes of a search engine. You play with fire and sometimes you have to expect to be burnt.

The other aspect of grey SEO also involve links. In this case though, rather than swapping a link like for like, thus benefiting both sites in a mutual fashion, you pay for them. It does go on, everybody warns against it, most people will say they’ve never even considered it, but link buying happens all the time. Of course, if you’ve managed to build a site with a PageRank of 6 and want to cash in on that strength, it is a great way to earn money. If you’ve just started out and have nothing in your linking profile and want to build quickly, this is a quick and easy solution.

The trouble begins though when Google works out what is happening. If a link farm is discovered everybody using it will be tainted with the same brush. You can’t get away from it, if that link is in your profile then you will be punished. That said if they don’t discover the dodgy practise, then you can enjoy the long-term benefits.

This happens in business though too, not just the seedy link farms we all read about. In exchange for a mention or some cash, a link can magically appear to a site. Almost undetectable and not necessarily wrong, this grey SEO is a risk; but some would argue that it is one well worth taking.