Why Link Exchange Does Not Matter Nowadays?

Link Exchange is one of the components of off-page optimization. In fact, it is one of the most important aspect of SEO (search engine optimization) which most bloggers used to optimize their websites. Link exchange occurs when a certain website offers other site owners or blogs to add their link to their website. In return, the requestor will also add a link back of the other site thus completing a successful link exchange.

The purpose of this activity is to increase the popularity of both websites in the search engines plus gaining some free traffic from reciprocal links. This type of SEO activity is frequently applied across the Internet by most webmasters and bloggers. Not before search engines revised their algorithms.

Link exchange is still an effective tool to increase page rank (PR) and improve search engine rankings. But Google does not heavily give importance to this kind of SEO strategy. Although its a legit tool, it has many flaws and a very risky way of building backlinks.

Google clearly states that link exchange activities could harm your website instead of being beneficial. Your website or blog can be removed from Google's index if:

1. You build links that are intended to manipulate PageRank
2. You link to web spammers or bad neighborhoods on the web
3. You have too many reciprocal links or excessive link exchanging activities
4. You buy or sell links to improve PageRank
   

Now if you think you are doing one of the activities listed above, then you must think twice if you are still going to pursue link exchange. Once Google's robots notice that your site has too many link reciprocals, you risk your website ranking to decrease its reputation in Google's index and get banned subsequently. Link exchange have many considerations such as the quality of the content of the site your adding, relevancy of the site, importance of the site to Google and many more. Getting involved in a link exchange with the wrong website could heavily affect your SERPs.

Now you ask, how would I achieve higher search engine ranking if I can't do link exchange? Google views one way links be more important than two way links. So the answer to that question is that you have to acquire as many one way links as much as possible.

How can you acquire quality one way links? Well, there are many tools that you can use to easily acquire quality backlinks. I will enumerate it one by one for your referrence.

1. Social Networking Sites

Social networking sites are loved by Google and other search engines. Its the new and one of the easiest way to improve your search engine popularity through bookmarking your website. Friendster, Twitter, Facebook, Digg, StumbleUpon, Reddit, Multiply and many more can help you market your website and gain one way links easily. 

2. Article Submission

Article submission can be done through either article directories or blogs that accepts guest posting. Its the best way to achieve one way links to your website. By submitting articles, you have the opportunity to publish your website to your author signature which can definitely improve your search engine rankings. There are thousands of article directories to choose from plus hundreds of quality blog sites that accepts guest posting that you can choose for your marketing campaign.

3. Website and Blog Directory Submission

Another way to increase your SERPs is through website and blog directory submission services. You can acquire quality one way back links to your site from popular website and blog directories. Although most directories requires reciprocal links, there are still few directories that accepts regular non-reciprocal listings.

4. DoFollow Blogs and Forums

Blogs and forums are a great way to market your websites. But the thing is that most of them has "NoFollow" attributes. It means that you won't receive any link juice (link vote) from these sites. However, there are some forum sites and blogs that offer "DoFollow" back links when you leave a comment or from forum signatures. These websites can help you improve your search engine ranking.

5. Write Quality Content

This is the most important way to increase your search engine popularity as well as your PageRank. Google loves unique and original content from blogs and website articles. The more you put more effort in writing contents for your website or blogs, the more you will have "search engine trust" from Google and Yahoo. Every article page of your site will be indexed and can help you improve your traffic from free organic SEO sources.

Now these tips can help you improve your search engine presence and increase your PageRank. Remember that you have to be careful when doing link exchange (its better not to) and focus your marketing efforts in obtaining more quality one way links!