Link exchanges
Grey hat. Not banned outright, but easy to tip into spam. Use with care. White, grey and black hat SEO compared
What are link exchanges?
A link exchange is an arrangement where two or more sites agree to link to each other, mainly to gain backlinks. A few natural mutual links between related sites are normal. Google’s link spam policy names “excessive link exchanges” and partner pages made only for cross-linking, so swapping at scale is a link scheme.
The line sits between links that would exist anyway and links that exist only because of the trade. A supplier linking to its stockists, and stockists linking back, is normal. A cold email offering “a link for a link” to any site, or a “partners” page with fifty unrelated sites, is a scheme. Three-way swaps (site A links to B, B’s other site links to A) are designed to hide the trade and are not safer.
Mutual links in general are covered under reciprocal links.
Why link exchanges matter for SEO
Link swap offers are some of the most common emails SEOs receive, and they often come from sites that sell links too. Accepting them can put your site in the same neighbourhood.
The white hat alternative is link building that earns links on merit, such as digital PR, and linking out only where it helps your readers. See grey hat SEO for how this tactic sits on the scale.
Risks of link exchanges
- Excessive link exchanges are named in Google’s link spam policy and can lead to an “Unnatural links” manual action.
- Swapped links that Google recognises as a pattern may be ignored, so the effort is wasted.
- Three-way or ABC swaps arranged to hide the trade are still link schemes.
- Outbound links to low-quality partners can look like link selling from your side.
How to tell if a link exchange is safe
- Would both links exist without the deal? If yes, it is a normal mutual link.
- Are the sites closely related, so readers benefit from the link?
- Is it a one-off with a real partner, or one of many swaps with strangers?
- Is any money, product or service attached? Then it is a paid link and needs rel="sponsored".
- Turn down three-way swaps and “partner page” arrangements outright.
Link exchanges FAQ
Are link exchanges against Google’s rules?
Excessive link exchanges are. Occasional mutual links between related sites, for good reasons, are not.
Are three-way link exchanges safer?
No. They are designed to hide a trade, which is still a link scheme.
Related SEO terms
Reciprocal linksGrey hat
Reciprocal links are when two sites link to each other. Natural ones are normal; excessive or arranged swaps for rankings are a link scheme.
Link schemesBlack hat
A link scheme is any attempt to create links mainly to manipulate rankings, such as buying, swapping or automating links, which is Google’s link spam.
Grey hat SEOGrey hat
Grey hat SEO covers tactics that are not banned outright but sit close to Google’s spam policies and can become spam when overdone.
Paid linksBlack hat
Paid links are links bought to pass ranking credit, without rel="sponsored" or nofollow, which breaks Google’s link spam policy.
Outbound links are links from your site to other websites. Linking to useful sources helps readers and does not drain your rankings.
Link buildingWhite hat
Link building is the work of getting other websites to link to yours, to earn referral traffic and the trust that helps pages rank.