Is there any problem with listing Hub titles in a forum (not linking)?

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   Aficionadaposted 14 years ago

   Last week in a forum about music, some of us touched on the possibility of reciprocal linking to each others' Hubs.  I promised to post (in the same forum) a list of articles that I have already linked to; but before doing that, I wanted to be sure it is not against TOS.  There would be no links in the forum, but there would be a group of Hub titles.  Is that allowed?  If not, I can abbreviate titles or try to find another method of communicating the info.

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   1. STAFF

      pauldeedsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      To remain with the Google's Webmaster Guidelines, you are advised not to participate in link schemes, which includes "excessive reciprocal links or excessive link exchanging".
      
      I can't say whether what you propose would be "excessive", but I'm really not that keen on the idea.  Why not just link to related and relevant hubs without expecting something in return?

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         Aficionadaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks for this, Paul. 
         
         I think that what the other Hubber suggested would definitely fall within the category of relevant and related Hubs.  However, even so, I do believe that everyone who participated in that conversation would prefer to err on the side of caution.
         
         I have never sought reciprocal linking.  My idea in sharing the names of the articles where I already had linked to these other Hubbers was because of the fact that there are so many articles related to music in HP that other authors might have a hard time finding relevant articles, even with the very helpful Link Suggestion Tool.
         
         However, I certainly would never want to give even a tiny impression of participating in a link scheme, and I will proceed with your caution squarely fixed in my field of vision.

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         Kerry43posted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Good morning Paul;
         
         Wouldn't the reciprocal links also apply to cross linking your own hubs? I'm just curious now that you mention that, because I do it quite a bit when I have extra long articles. I publish them in a three part series, for example.
         
         I also link to other peoples' hubs via the new 'karma' system, but I do so because they are relevant to what I write about, and I don't claim to know everything. Anyone who is reading my articles because they need that information is best directed elsewhere to someone with even more input on the subject.
         
         Marisa makes an excellent point below, too.
         
         Have a good one:)
         Kez

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            thisisoliposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            If you are reciprocal linking between your hubs they will have less value. but lets face it, any bonus on your link value helps.
            
            You can get around this by designing a specific link structure between your hubs which removes the chances of reciprocal links.
            
            Plenty of people do link exchanges, it is not a bad thing, you just have to do it right to get the most benefit.

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               sagebrush_mamaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               So it's better to link one way within your own hubs, too?  I guess I have to go fix some hubs. 

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                  Kerry43posted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  Yes, me too mama; I'm glad I asked because I thought I was being so nice to provide a link back from article # 3 to # 1 in case people missed it, when I should have left well enough alone.
                  
                  I always learn something in here.
                  
                  Thanks folks:)
                  
                  K

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                     Aficionadaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                     There is another way to direct your traffic back to a Hub they may have missed, and that is by putting your Hubs in Groups.  You can do this on the My Account page.  At the bottom of a Hub, there will be one or two links that will go to the previous and/or following Hubs in the Group list.  You can arrange the sequence of the Hubs in the Group so that there is a logical flow from one to another.

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               Kerry43posted 14 years agoin reply to this

               I appreciate the tip, thisisoli.
               ta
               
               Kez

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               Pcunixposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               I disagree strongly with your last sentence.  Trading links is wrong, period.

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      Marisa Wrightposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Posting lists of your Hubs in the forum is still promoting, so I'd say no. 
      
      If you want to arrange link swaps, they're best done in private - and remember, a reciprocal link, where sites link to each other, have less value than one-way links.

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      1. 75

         Aficionadaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks, Marisa.  As always, your advice is spot-on.

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