Most SEO specialists out there go on a rampage trying to get those coveted “reciprocal links” which are supposed to make you rank #1 for your keyword term in a short time. In doing so, they nearly forget to what extent carrying out reciprocal linking is helpful. Is there such a thing as reciprocal linking which hurts your rankings?
Yes, there is. For example, if you have a new website, which had done nothing except reciprocal linking with “websites in the same niche”, you stand a good chance of triggering spam filters in Google. What are the chances of a new website having ALL their links built on a reciprocal basis? If you think the chances are low, you are right.
Reciprocal links used to help in the past, but carry minimal weight now. Why? Because doing this kind of linking on a large scale is like asking Google to come and take notice..in a bad way.
Do reciprocal linking partners link to each other on merit? Nope! They link out to each other in order to artificially increase link popularity!
Google knows this so if you think an SEO company which is only building reciprocal links for you is helping you out, think again…