Link Spam or Not? That is the question..

[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.

But my view is irrelevant, how does Google + Yahoo see this.

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

Dave

[bakedjake]

Is this link spamming?

Are the links useful to the users of your site?

[djtaverner]

I would see at as being beneficial to the user. I am a hub for information on that niche therefore interlinking is beneficial.

I am wondering whether G or Yahoo have implemented a section into the algo which sets of alert's if it counts to many reciprocal links.

Dave