Should I accept this link exchange offer?

[frank72]

So, I am really undecided to what to do. Some days ago a famous software companay asked me for a link exchange offer. They just launched a new website. I should put a baklink on my homepage pointing to their new website (flash games) and they will put a backlink on their blog with PR7. The backlink to my blog will go to a small blogroll containing 10 other websites which are all in my niche.

Such a blog contains a lot of pages and some of them have got a nice PR.

What should I do? Should I accept? Despite some days have passed I am still undecided to what to do... On my blog there is no blogroll and that will be my first backlink (link exchange)

Please advice me

thanks

PS: The reason of this question is because I am afraid to be penalised by Google. Its guidelines about "no eccessive link exchange" is a little bit unclear to say the least!

[tedster]

It may not be a precise quantity, but "excessive" certainly doesn't mean one - no concern there. However, I'd be worried about whether this offer is legitimate. Is the "new website" actually owned by the "famous software company"?

Famous companies don't usually build links in this fashion, so I smell something fishy here.

[artek]

G wants to find spontaneous one way back links that can be counted as a positive vote for, let's say, interesting resource pages.

The "asked for" and "exchanged" links are artificial so they may not count for much from G point of view.

[frank72]

Thanksfor your reply. The site is verywell extablished in the niche and yes, it is legitimate. Everything is all right about that site.

thanks artek for your reply...is it possible that a trusted website like that won't benefit me at all? Beside is a backlink scheme like this a -> b -> c.

[tedster]

Well, what artek said is true about what Google is looking for, in the ideal sense. But other kinds of links still are quite common and often carry some weight. The practical world is not always lined up with the ideals.

If your site has the kind of spontaneous and "ideal" backlinks that Google prefers, and there's no money changing hands - then you run almost no practical, real-world risk here, in my opinion. Many sites end up in reciprocal or triangular linking relationships quite innocently, and they may not even know it. When the occurrence is at a low level, rather than an excessive pattern, I've never heard of a problem.

Still, there are a few questions I'd ask:

Would you link to this site even if there were no reciprocation from them?
How many total sites are they approaching for this kind of linking?

[1script]

Famous companies don't usually build links in this fashion, so I smell something fishy here

Yeah, my thinking exactly. No one famous needs to "build links" in any fashion - fame "builds" it for them. Also, most of these requests are automated and belong in the trash bin right away. Since I own many domains, I can sometimes see the very same link request emails (slightly modified or just exact copies) blasting to dozens of my domains (even those without ANY site on them) using generic account names like "[e-mail]" and such. I don't even bother to open those.

[jimbeetle]

If this "famous" software company knows about your site it I assume it must already have a decent backlink profle so, as tedster said, one link exchange is definitely not excessive. The same with the a -> b -> c on a one-off basis.

Since the backlink is on a blogroll you might not get the same boost expected as from individual editorial links, but any solid link is good.

If you're absolutely sure everything else is legitimate there's really no reason not to go for it.

[artek]

Would you link to this site even if there were no reciprocation from them?

That is exactly question I would ask myself.

[aakk9999]

Famous companies don't usually build links in this fashion...

Usually not, but sometimes they do. About 6 months ago our client has been approached by very well known travel site asking for link exchange. This travel site were launching in another travel niche and got a new website - kind of very similar situation to OP (new website by one of top players in travel niche).

What I did noticed is that all sites they did exchange links with were sites that were hand-picked just because they had hardly any link exchanges, but had authority in their own travel niche - the big player was very picky, of course.

The fact that OP does not do link exchanges could perhaps explain why OP got link exchange request - perhaps you should take it as compliment to your site?

[frank72]

Thanks to you all for your replies. it was not an automated message. I exchange emails with him and we talked about this...

[FranticFish]

Famous companies don't usually build links in this fashion...

I've seen household name companies in financial / travel markets that have a *whole* lot more than link exchange done on their behalf.

[tedster]

What I did noticed is that all sites they did exchange links with were sites that were hand-picked just because they had hardly any link exchanges, but had authority

Yes, I have seen this strategy in action, too - except there was also payment involved, not reciprocal links. The paid links were not something Google could easily detect algorithmically (at least, not a year ago) but when they did catch onto it, the penalties were harsh.

Now that was for paid link placements, not reciprocal links. My guess would be that it's the "famous" site taking the big risk here, and not their link partners. At worst the link's effects would just be zeroed out if the scheme is detected - again, that's my guess.