Chiedere al guru seo

There is a discussion today at Webmasterworld http://www.webmasterworld.com regarding the fact that that someone noticed last night that Google has added one significant word to their webmaster guidelines regarding link schemes http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=66356&query=link+exchange&topic=&type

That word is excessive.

There has been a raging debate for years about how much is too much when it comes to reciprocal links. The debate rages for two basic reasons. #1. It is in Google's best interest to be a little vague when it comes to describing their policies and there can't be a single black/white answer because there are simply far too many variables.  #2. Those who can not see the point and the intent of Google's statements are very likely the ones most guilty of an infraction and simply do not want to see. 

Of course you are free to believe what and whom you choose but here is my simple to understand, works every time, nothing to worry about approach to the question. Keep in mind that when I discuss these things it is always from a commercial perspective. I don't run hobby sites or non-profit sites. I spend my time looking at this stuff with a value driven, risk vs reward, how to make sale approach and always discuss it that way too.

Is the link you are about to trade in a reciprocal deal, (reciprocal link means I will link to you if you will link to me), going to result in a desired action once the visitor gets to your site? Is the link you have pointing to you going to help convert enough visitors to make the link you are going to point to them worth sending a visitor from your site to theirs?

Look, there is only one reason to exchange links with anybody. Because you believe you will gain something of value from the deal. If you think that value is getting one paying customer from every link pointing to you from someone else's site, then a million of them are NOT excessive. That is smart business and if you have a million paying customers from a million reciprocal links, who cares whether Google likes it or not? You don't need Google with a million paying customers.

BUT, if you are telling people, (and yourself), that the reciprocal link is on theme and good for your visitors all the while you are not REALLY just wanting to help your visitors, what you are REALLY wanting is to see those links push you up higher in Google search results, then:
#1. You're lying to yourself and trying to justify it and that makes even one reciprocal link excessive, and deep down you know it and don't need to be asking the question "how many is too many" in the first place.
#2. You are looking for some easy way to "get around" the fact that building your business takes more than just being on the first page of Google and for some strange reason you have gotten it into your head that getting reciprocal links is easier than just building your business
#3. You are forgetting the number one guiding principle of making money online. Search engine placements without conversion are the epitome of irony.  Search engine placement is an expense and if that expense does not result in enough sales to make a profit, then who the hell cares how many reciprocal links is excessive?

#4. If you are trying to find out how many reciprocal links you can “get away with”, then whether you admit it or not, you are practicing black hat SEO. Just not very well. You would be better off accepting that you have now entered into high risk areas and your site could be penalized at any time so you might as well start learning about things like auto content generation, automated domain registrations, DNS manipulation, IP delivery, REAL link acquisition and so forth.

 
It is not about reciprocal links or how many is too many. It is about making more money from less visitors with less expense and more profit.

Don't let your self get sucked into wasting your time judging linking opportunities with a yardstick of whether Google will think it is excessive or not. Approach each reciprocal  link deal with a single thought. Will this link exchange bring me enough paying customers that I can justify recommending to my visitors to go to his site instead of staying at mine?

If you approach it that way you have a much better chance of making money and as a fringe benefit you get Google placements too. Doesn't that make more sense than trying to get Google placements and as a fringe benefit you hope to get some sales?

You don’t really need Google guidelines to tell you what is excessive. If you feel the need to ask, you know already.