Back in the old days of seo (about 2-5 years ago) the best way to move up the rankings was with reciprocal link exchange. This method was simple as all you had to do is find a site that’s actively exchanging links, add a link to them on your site, email them asking for one back, and wait for them to do so. This way, both sites have a link, everyone’s happy.

All that has changed now since the search engines have clocked on to these reciprocal link exchanges and have been gradually decreasing their value because they want sites to naturally accumulate pure, natural links.

If they detect a reciprocal link, they quite rightly assume that there has been a deal made between these sites to try and make themselves rank higher, which of course, isn’t natural.

The vision that the search engines have (especially Google) is that links should be accumulated selflessly, from simply being impressed with a site. For example, if a carpenter goes on holiday to Great Yarmouth, and ends up getting friendly with the owners of his hotel, and is generally overwhelmed by the great level of service and hospitality. He gets home and advises the visitors of his site to visit this hotel should they ever find themselves in Great Yarmouth and puts a link to the hotels site on his.

Of course it didn’t develop like this, instead search engine optimization specialists sprung up everywhere to manipulate the system. Initially, reciprocal links worked well, were easy to set up and very easy to manage.

Over time though, one way links have taken over and become far more powerful. Bearing in mind that you can only add a limited quantity of links in a given month, adding only reciprocal links will mean that it takes you over three times longer to achieve your desired rankings, if indeed you achieve them at all.

Although one way links are harder to manage than reciprocals as you cant easily keep track of the link you’re receiving back (not in the same way as reciprocals anyway), they are the most powerful type of link to get your site ranked well. There are rumours that as soon as spring 2010 reciprocal links will be devalued to zero. I do not think that this is very likely as large business will want to exchange links in a fair way with their business partners and suppliers, and surely they should not be penalised for that.

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