What is link exchange and how to practice it correctly?
If you have high-quality, unique, and helpful content on your website, you’ll naturally attract backlinks that build your site’s authority and boost your search engine rankings.
However, as a solo founder or small team startup without a dedicated marketing team, you might need to engage in manual link building with the people in your network, commonly known as link exchange or link swapping.
Link exchange in SEO involves two websites agreeing to insert links to each other’s pages. This collaboration can be just one-way link insertion, mutual link swaps, or guest posting.
Typically, link exchanges are popular among newer sites with lower domain ratings, helping them gain the visibility and credibility needed to grow.
Why should you engage in link exchange?
When related websites link to each other, they share traffic, readers, and potential customers that show the same interest.
The effectiveness of a link exchange depends on how the link is inserted and the context of the surrounding content. A well-placed link can improve SEO and drive traffic to the linked site.
Search engines like Google consider backlinks (links from other websites) as a sign of trust and relevance. More backlinks can improve your site’s ranking in search results and build authority around your domain.
Link exchange: do’s and dont’s for the best results
#1 Exchange links with websites within your field
When doing a link exchange, make sure the website you’re partnering with is related to your own. For example, if your website is about cooking, try to exchange links with a website about food or health. This way, both websites can benefit from exchanging links because visitors will be interested in both topics. By linking to each other, you can share traffic and improve your search engine rankings together.
#2 Exchange links with quality websites
It’s best to exchange links with websites that have a real audience who regularly read their content. Avoid sites that are just made to sell backlinks or trick search engines. You want to link with websites where the visitors actually read and engage with the content. This way, you’ll get valuable traffic coming to your site from those links.
#3 Share a related audience
If the link is placed on a page with unrelated content, readers probably won’t click on it. Search engines, especially Google, prefer links that get clicked because it shows the link is relevant and useful to readers. This means it’s important to place your links where they make sense and match the surrounding content.
#4 Target similar keywords
Exchange links with websites that use similar target keywords to maintain topical relevance. For example, if you run a blog about healthy recipes, linking with a site focused on fitness tips ensures that both sites are relevant to health enthusiasts, leading to increased traffic and improved SEO for both websites.
#5 Avoid excessive links from the same websites
Too many links from the same website can look like spam to search engines and might be ignored. It’s better to have links from different websites, as this makes your site more trustworthy and valuable.
#6 Ensure link placement makes sense and provides value to visitors
Insert links in contexts such as:
Defining a term not explained in your content
Providing additional information to better understand the topic
Citing sources for research or information
The more likely a reader will click on the link, the more value it provides. For more insights, you can refer to this article on link value and search engines.
#7 Monitor your backlinks to ensure they remain active and relevant
Sometimes, a page you exchanged links with can change or be removed, causing you to lose a backlink. Additionally, you might change the URL of your linked page. In these cases, it’s important for both parties to stay informed to avoid linking to 404 error pages or creating redirect chains.
To prevent these issues, regularly check the exchanged links and contact your partner to ensure the backlinks are still active and relevant.
#8 Create clear guidelines
Having a clear guest post or link exchange guideline for link exchanges ensures that both parties understand the expectations and requirements. Define the criteria for the types of sites you want to exchange links with, such as relevance, quality, and domain authority. Set rules for how and where links should be placed on each site. By establishing these guidelines, you can maintain a consistent and effective link exchange strategy.
How to find link exchange opportunities?
Finding link exchange opportunities can be challenging, especially if you don’t have a network of contacts. The process can be long and exhausting.
You might consider outsourcing to outreach specialists or working with agencies that offer link building services, but this option can be expensive and may not always provide the desired results.
Traditionally, to find websites to exchange links you would need to:
Perform search operations: Use search terms like “write for us” to find potential sites.
Manually check domain authority (DA): Ensure the sites have a good DA, preferably higher than your website.
Understand their readership: Look at their audience, main keywords, and content quality.
Identify content gaps: Find opportunities where your content can add value.
Craft your pitch: Write an engaging email and select topics to pitch.
Find contact information: Locate the relevant contact details.
Send emails and follow up: Reach out and follow up several times.
It’s crucial to verify that the websites are high-quality and not designed to manipulate rankings. Ensure they have a genuine readership and traffic so they are more likely to click on the exchanged link and come to your website.
