We all have heard the line that reciprocal links are no longer valuable to search engine optimization and that a webmaster needs to seek only one-way links from authority sites in order to place high in the SERPs. Well, that is not exactly true. I do agree that one-way links are much better than reciprocals, but reciprocal links do add at least some value to the overall SEO plan.

First, let's take a look at how one-way links are better than reciprocals. One-ways are usually placed on content pages that are actually being read on a semi-regular basis. Reciprocals are usually placed on nearly worthless pages consisting merely of outbound links that are hidden deep within the site structure. Since one-ways are located on content pages, you might actually get some real visitors from them. Good luck on getting real visitors from reciprocals. One-way incoming links add to the PageRank of your site while outgoing links subtract from it.

So what exactly do you benefit from reciprocal links? To answer that question, I'll give you an example of how I use them. Let me start from the beginning.

I normally begin my link building campaign with web directory submissions, both free and paid. Web directories usually allow a link to point only to your home page, although some of them allow you to purchase deep links. Then I submit articles to article directories. I usually add one link to the home page of my site and one link to a second tier page of my site within the articles.

Here's where reciprocal links come in. The third tier, or least important, pages (not including site map, contact page, etc.) are reserved for the reciprocal linking. Most sites that will trade links with you will point to any page in your site and with any link text you want. This can be very helpful if these interior pages are in very specific niches with very little competition or your site is geo-targeting for local searches.

Pointing incoming reciprocal links to the tertiary pages of your site allows these pages to build PageRank, which will inevitably build PageRank for your home page (if you care about PageRank at all). It also prevents you from having to write an article for every page on your site. You can simply focus on the more important pages and reduce your work load.

Another benefit of trading links is the spidering of your content by the search engines. Generally, the more links a page has pointing to it, the easier it is for the search engines to find it. They will also visit it more often, thus allowing the search engines to update their cache of your web page quicker should you decide to change the content.

Finally, I recommend that you trade links with other sites if:

1. your web site is targeting a local market.
2. your web site has more internal pages than you could possibly write articles for.
3. you don't mind having links on your site pointing to other sites.

In conclusion, trading links with other sites can be beneficial to your search engine optimization efforts despite what you may have heard. But remember, there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution that will work with every web site and in every niche. You must weigh the options and make the decision for yourself.

Happy linking!