The Importance of Reciprocal Links

A good selection of links to your site from others is also very important in ensuring that your site is successful. If you can get other complementary sites (preferably prominent and busy ones) to link to yours, then this is extremely valuable.

Because they have come from a complementary site in a related business sector, visitors using these links to get to your site are already likely to be interested in the type of product or service that you offer. This can be much more productive than having many visitors coming 'cold' to you from a search engine, having used a search term which matches text on your site, but not your services. They will simply click away to the next site.How to get reciprocal links to your site

Look for complementary sites which are popular and busy sites . .

This is simply a case of finding a popular, complementary (rather than competing) site, looking for an email contact address on it, and sending an email asking if they would be kind enough to add a link pointing to your site in exchange for one pointing to theirs from your site.

Many sites operate a policy of restricting 'external' links to a maximum of 15-20 so as not to distract their visitors from their own products or services. Their site administrator may decide that they already have enough external links on their site and will refuse to add one pointing to your site. If this happens, look for alternative sites and contact them as well.

Look for sites which 'fit' what you offer, but don't duplicate it . .

We recommend that you look for sites that your potential clients will be interested in and will find useful. Especially valuable are ones which attract regular visits as the visitor will be repeatedly exposed to your link. For instance, if you provide accommodation, look for sites which publicise activity events or holidays in your area. If you provide walking holidays, look for sites which provide information on your geographical area or on accommodation or local entertainment.