Should I still be collecting incoming/reciprocal links?

Even if they are irrelevant

[surfgatinho]

Hi,
I've recently eased off the link exchange thing and have stopped actively pursuing any link I can get back to my site.
What I'm wondering is, is any incoming link better than no incoming link or do some actually count as nothing?
I guess this wouldn't be a problem but then I guess you're leaking PR by reciprocating.
I'd be happy to dump the whole reciprocal links thing as it seems like another form of spamming, however, it seems some of my successful competitors are actively seeking links with any site willing to reciprocate.

Is the PR calculation still based only on incoming link PR but has just been given less weighting in the over all algo?

Any clarification would be greatly appreciated
Chris

[soapystar]

i guess my brain needs new batteries. My only point was: if you worded the anchor text yourself to include your keywords then thats not natural thats artificial. In the sense that the use of anchor text to rank your site assumes someone independant has worded and placed it as a vote for your site. This is organic. It might feel natural to have your keywords in the anchor and make sense to do so, but if you worded it yourself to help a search engine its not natural. Wasnt that what this thread was about? Collecting links. An edited directory listing would be organic in my eyes.

[sweet_ali]

After reading the back and forth between the two posters here it proves my point that nobody can agree on what the rules are and only the search engines knows for sure.

[soapystar]

After reading the back and forth between the two posters here it proves my point that nobody can agree on what the rules are and only the search engines knows for sure.

Did you think that wouldnt be the case? My first point was simply the difference in how different search engines will react if you cross the line. Not only is that line different for each engine but the line is constantly moving. If you think anyone can tell definitive answers to a moving goalpost question then it just aint gonna happen.

[djtaverner]

Hello,

I have a directory website that allows businesses to submit their site for free. I request a reciprocal link (but its not essential) and offer a highlighted link in the listings if reciprocated. Is this link spamming? I am feeling very paranoid about this at the moment.

My site is heirarchically categorised into fairly specific niches. If I instructed that reciprocal links could only be made, not to my home page, but to the category URL that was related to the linkers site, would this not be beneficial to the user and therefore not be link spamming.

Personally I see nothing wrong with requested a reciprocal link if the links are between related sites therefore increasing in the interconnectivity of content within that niche.

Im beginning to dislike this industry, we can lose all at the flick of an algorithmic switch, I should have been a landlord...

Dave