3-way links

Good? Bad?

[cabbagehead]

Well I think we've all pretty much concluded recip links are worthless now (at least on Google). How about 3-way links? (a->b, b->c, c->a). I know Google could theretically detect these if the domain registry shows the same ownership for 2 of the 3 sites ... but in reality, is this done? Are these schemes effective presently? Advised? Why / why not?

thanks.

[martinibuster]

Theoretically detecting the three ways doesn't have anything to do with the ownership of the domains. It's simply a matter of detecting the pattern.

[cabbagehead]

detect the pattern - yes I can see where its possible but I would imagine there mut be a lot of collateral damage (valid links not counted) if they start devaluing 3-way patterns too. Recips are a pretty straight forward thing .. but 3-ways would be much less clean.

Regardless of ability to detect - do you think Google n' the gang actually *do* detect and devalue such arrangements?

[cnvi]

There has been lots of speculation and warnings about three way linking.. The company I work with wrote an extensive article about 3 way linking earlier this year.

I have seen alot of our clients try three way linking and to this date, I have not seen anyone get into trouble for it but I dont see any benefits either. If a three way link benefits all three parties - in that the links are to sites that benefit the end user by continuing the knowledge transfer of relevant information, there is probably not any harm in doing it in low volume.

However, I see no proof that three way links will positively affect search rankings or have any substantial SEO benefit.

Be careful. There are services on the web that promise a high volume of links via three way linking.. if you obtain links too quickly, you can run into trouble.

We tell our clients to avoid games such as three way linking because you might not have control over the 3rd link and where its coming from.. Classic link exchange is easier to manage and control. Just make sure you only link to quality sites that benefit your end user's experience and avoid obtaining links from sites irrelevant to your own.

And yes Google can detect them. I dont have specific proof of that but I do read all of their patents very carefully and given their abilities to spot all sorts of chicanery, 3 ways (and even 4 ways and 5 ways etc) would be very easy for their programs to detect and trend.

[edited by: martinibuster at 8:54 pm (utc) on Dec. 29, 2006]
[edit reason] Misc. [/edit]

[martinibuster]

>>>I would imagine there mut be a lot of collateral damage

I don't think so. 3-way linking is ridiculously easy to spot because it glaringly stands out, especially if you're doing it with enough quantity. Imo, three way patterns aren't going to happen naturally at the same quantities people are unnaturally creating them.

Re any collateral damage, it's going to be nearly impossible for a site to have a significant amount of it's backlinks from a single three way link arrangement. It doesn't naturally happen that hundreds or thousands of sites are linking to site A and are being reciprocated by site B.

IF by collateral damage you mean a three way here with one site, a three way here with another site there, and some more three ways with sites over there, there, and there- then that's not a true three way linking pattern because you have more than three edges going on.

My response to the original question is that they're so easy to spot, I wouldn't bother with it.

[rahul_seo]

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System: The following 4 messages were spliced on to this thread from: http://www.webmasterworld.com/link_development/3214614.htm [webmasterworld.com] by martinibuster - 10:42 pm on Jan. 10, 2007 (utc -8)

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Dear frnds,

Now a days i m receiving many request for link exchage in other way. Say a->c & b->a. So does this called 3 way link exchange?

And if i go for this than does it be counted for backlink or it will harm my site.

OR can it be called as one way links?

Thank you in advance.
Rahul

[cnvi]

well I see noone has replied here so I guess I will jump in.

3 way linking is considered a triangular one way link between three sites. But I dont like it. I think it's silly and difficult to manage. Also what happens if one of the sites is a junk site irrelevant to your own? That gives the SEs reason to negatively view your site.

Some might say 3-way links are ok and won't get you into "trouble". It's my opinion that three way linking is chicanery.. games and tricks. The SE's don't like it when you play games with them so I would cordially suggest you dispense with 3 way linking because if the SE's do view it as toying with them, you might be asking for negative points. Why risk problems?

Link exchange (reciprocal linking) whereas two sites link with each other when it's relevant for the end users of both sites is much more kosher (acceptable). The SE's realize a site might not link to another if they don't get a link back. Thats much more acceptable than three way linking.

I suspect some might disagree with me and thats fine but I really think it's best to avoid anything that is viewed by SEs as gamesmanship.

[rahul_seo]

Yes i know that 3 way links might turn harmful for sites. Infact 3 ways links means a->b, b->c and c->a...right?

But my question was if a->c and b->a...so does this have any relation with 3 way links exchange? Shall i call this as 3 way links? And is it good or bad?

Regards
Rahul

[martinibuster]

Infact 3 ways links means a->b, b->c and c->a...right?

Triangular is Site 1 --> Target Site, then Shell Site --> 1.

Target Site is the beneficiary that wants to appear as if it's receiving a one way link from 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 200, 300, etc.

So you set up a Shell Site, drop a couple links to it so it pops up to a PR 5, then link to the suckers on 1, 2, 3, 4, 200, 300 etc.

But my question was if a->c and b->a

That's triangular. C is the Beneficiary. B is the Shell Site. A is the sucker. Easy to spot.