Question:

Are Link Exchanges a good idea?

Answer:

There still isn't much evidence to say that link exchanges are a bad idea. If you look at it from a search engines prospective, it can be seen as another way of manipulating the rankings. On the other hand, the internet is all about links and navigation. The wheels have been set in motion already for link exchanges and until an algorithm is developed that says otherwise they still are a good way of improving rankings.

To get the most value from your link exchange we recommend the following:

Examine the potential partner thoroughly and ask yourself these questions.

Is it a good site with good content with the potential to grow?
Will the page containing your link be seen by visitors and search engines?
Does the page and site have a similar theme as yours?
Will the link to you be buried deep in a vast directory?

Page Rank should be a consideration but don't dwell on it. A PR 0 can turn into a 3,4,or 5 pretty quick. If you've evaluated a site that is related with good content and the potential to grow, it's probably worth giving them a chance.

Finally, monitor your link partners. Make sure they are still linking back to you and that their sites are not being penalized or banned. A good tool for this is SEO Elite by Brad Callen. It will monitor your partners to make sure the link exchange hasn't become one sided.

One more thing. Don't go crazy and get 100's of links a day. That will raise a red flag and lead to penalty's. Get a few links a day. Five max.

SEO - Search Engine Optimization Main