Using .htaccess to hide link exchange page from Google?

[Oimachi2]

My competitors are ranking high because of link exchange schemes, I can see it from the link profiles.

It's actually working...so I want to do the same thing, however, I want to take an extra step for safety's sake.

These directories ask for a link back, and adding no follow won't work. Can I simply dissalow the my link exchange page to be seen by Google?

Is there a way to keep the link intact but use javascript, php or J query to keep the back link intact but maybe enclose it into a "nofollow" div?

Thanks

[Rasputin]

I wouldn't be too sure that just because someone has a link exchange page that is why they are ranking well. Even a few years ago when we just deleted any link pages we had I didn't see any change in position at all - and I'm sure that google are better at identifying them nowadays.

But you are also, as I understand it, talking about tricking other sites into thinking you have added the required link to them, without (effectively) doing so. Sounds like a waste of time and effort IMO, that is also unethical (if you believe the links from the other sites will bring you benefits then the site owners deserve some 'reward' for those links) and will almost certainly bring no benefits...I would focus my efforts elsewhere.

[Oimachi2]

yes it might be seen as unethical, however, it will not hurt the directory.

How about dissalowing the whole page? or content no follow?

[topr8]

just block the links page from googlebot in robots.txt

[Oimachi2]

I want to participate in link exchange schemes, but I don't want google to see the page with the links...

This will be for websites that do not wish to be linked to for Google but simply for traffic purposes, genuine resource for humans.

So how can I prevent Google from seeing the page with all the outbound links on it? I don't want to use the nofollow on individual links, I want to completely hide the page from search engines.

[Rasputin]

Is <META NAME="ROBOTS" CONTENT="NOINDEX, NOFOLLOW"> plus the robots.txt block sufficient?
I'm pretty sure G are OK with that for links pages - but of course they can still access the page if they want to.