Reciprical links Good or Bad / Themed links

[vvs]

Hi,

I have a newly optimized site - a virtual mall. We require a high volume of themed inbound or reciprocal links to the site to start the increase in PR and SERP.

I have received conflicting advice as to the value of reciprocal links. Some people I have spoken with say don't bother with reciprocal links, others say all links are good.

Can someone offer some objective advice on this subject please?

Also themed linking - again I am unsure as to whether I should be linking to other shopping sites [being the theme of my site] or for example a category on our site may be - art books, should I be linking to sites that are optimized on the same search string, that actually sell art books. For example suppose my chosen keywords were art books should I be trying to link to sites that are optimized on the same key words, to gain maximum benefit, and again will it matter whether these sites are proposing recipical links, will I still get some PR.

In addition I have been told to go for PR4 sites and above but this is not necessarily realistic as my site Main url is only 3 and the other 165 pages are 0, though I have been told that despite this once I build up a minimum of 400 links, firstly 20 per main category that the PR will begin to rise to 4, do these links have to be one way "Inbound" or will themed reciprocal links surfice?

Any advice would be welcome. :D

[dilligaf]

Reciprocal links are still very valuable in improving your rakings. For most terms in various markets you'll find well ranked sites that rely on recips.

Regarding themed linking, I'm sold that it should be a primary critereon but I still see any number of well ranked sites in different markets that rely significantly on non related links.

The PR4 thing went by the wayside when Google decided that they'd display a random sample of back links regardless of PR. I think webmasters used to believe that they didn't count (low/no PR links) because they weren't displayed. What's more important IMO is the link structure of the sites linking to you. If you're two clicks from home on a relevant site that doesn't post a ton of the links on the page.... today's PR0's are tomorrows PR5's.

[summy]

I agree with dilligaf, any link is important, some require reciprocals, and relevant links are more important.
anchor text in the link is of big importance, even if from non-relevant theme website.

[vvs]

Thank you both. Your views are very useful.

[seo guy]

moved to the link popularity forum, please only use the link exchange forum for its purpose, exchanging links, and make sure you read the rules of that forum before posting.

[vvs]

:o apologies SEO Guy. I kind of lost my thread!

[blueveil]

It's known that linkiing raisers PR, but does it help generate more traffic, then say, having better text content/ tags/ keywords, etc....?

[seo guy]

Linking is the #1 most important thing you can do to raise a sites rank Tina. I mean you need good content or people wont link to you, but in todays google its typcially he (Or she) who rules the allinachor rules the serps

[seo guy]

Oh and VVS its cool, good topic, just wrong forum is all :)

[Web Gazelle]

[QUOTE=dilligaf]Reciprocal links are still very valuable in improving your rakings. For most terms in various markets you'll find well ranked sites that rely on recips.

Regarding themed linking, I'm sold that it should be a primary critereon but I still see any number of well ranked sites in different markets that rely significantly on non related links.

The PR4 thing went by the wayside when Google decided that they'd display a random sample of back links regardless of PR. I think webmasters used to believe that they didn't count (low/no PR links) because they weren't displayed. What's more important IMO is the link structure of the sites linking to you. If you're two clicks from home on a relevant site that doesn't post a ton of the links on the page.... today's PR0's are tomorrows PR5's.[/QUOTE]

I was going to ask a question about this very topic. I think that what you said, Dilligaf, makes sense. Thanks for the valuable advice. :cool: