The web world has become very aggressive. It is increasingly difficult for new businesses to get a firm hold without vast resources behind them. And I know very few people who start a small business because of what they HAVE. Most do so because of what they NEED.

If you have read any of the other articles that I have written on marketing, you'll know I have a huge belief in the importance of linking your site with others. There are only a few good ways that you can do that anymore, and a lot of bad ways that hurt you more than they help you. One of the best ways is with reciprocal linking. This is often misunderstood though, and difficult to learn to do, so that is the reason for this article.

Reciprocal linking refers to exchanging links on a one to one basis with other site owners. Sometimes people call this link exchanging as well. But the term "link exchange" is also used for other things. So, first, what "recirpocal linking" is NOT.

It is NOT participating in "Free Traffic Exchange" programs. These programs give you 1 hit on your site for every XX number that you generate for them from links off your site. The problem with these is that if you have almost no traffic, it is very difficult to generate enough traffic from your site to get any significant amount of hits back to your site. And the quality of hits is not very good - it may not be people interested in your product or information. And last, they often use pop-up windows, or other tactics that annoy site visitors. Do you want your site to have to have pop-ups on it, and do you want your link to show up on a pop-up? There is a whole category of internet browsers who will NOT click on a pop-up, and up to 50% of browsers now have pop-ups blocked, so they will never even see your ad.

It is NOT participating in a "Link Exchange Program". These programs work in many different ways, but many of them work on a principle that is totally ineffective. You go browsing through the "approved links" which are sites of other people who are participating in the program. Each time you visit one of their sites, you get points for generating traffic for them. Of course, when you do this, all you are going to do is click on their site, then click out as soon as the page loads, so you can click on another one and get your points as fast as possible. You'll never even read what is on the page. The problem is, that ALL of the traffic that comes to YOUR site, is just going to be other site owners doing the same thing! Why waste your time? You need visitors to your site for a PURPOSE! You need them to either generate ad revenue, or make purchases. Without those two elements, there is NO reason to try to get them to come in! Traffic numbers mean NOTHING if they do not get you INCOME! These types of programs only generate traffic. They do not help you generate income at all, and if they don't help you earn, they are a total waste of your time.

What IS Reciprocal Linking?

1. Seeking out any source online where you can place a link to your site, in exchange for a link to their site.

2. Placing a page on your site with an invitation to exchange links with you.

3. Offering ad for ad exchanges.

4. Trading links in newsletters or eZines for comparable links. This is one instance where numbers of exposures may be counted.

Generally, reciprocal linking is just a link trade. Nobody keeps track of traffic to each site, they just trade links.

There are some rules:

1. Choose quality sites. If you choose unethical or trashy sites, your site will be grouped with them. If people request link exchanges from you, then review their site before linking.

2. Verify that the link was placed. Most people who ask to trade will do so, but a TON of sites require that you link to them first, and when you use their "verification", it fails to find the link you placed, and they never supply you with a return link.

3. If you install an automatic system, make sure it actually works (see above).

4. By putting an invitation on your site for exchanging links, you invite other businesses to come to you. That saves you time.

5. Generally, once you find one site that will exchange links, they will lead you to others.

6. Use Reciprocal Link Directories. These are different than traffic exchanges, they are simply listings of businesses who will trade links.

7. Cooperate to Succeed. Don't worry about competition, just trade links. Who cares if it helps your competitor to be linked to you if it is also helping you to be linked to them? Just get the links!

8. Do NOT send out floods of emails to other site owners. Most get deleted, and the ones that get replied to are not necessarily the ones you want. I get most of my traded links from personal acquaintances on forums and groups.

If you build a section of your site for reciprocal linking, then it can be done in stages.

1. Build a Links page. Put an invitation to trade links with an email address at the top and bottom of the page.

2. Put a link on EVERY page that says, "Exchange Links With Us", and link that to your Links page. You can build two separate link pages if you like, or two sections on your links page - one for Related Links (having to do with your site topic), and one for Exchanged Links (off topic).

3. Add more pages for categorized links if you need to.

4. Put in a form for submitting links. It should have a place for their name, business name, email addy URL, site description, the page that they placed your link on, and a message field. This form can simplify things for you.

5. Later, if the number of links justify it, you can put an automated system in place, but you still need to review sites personally for fitness.

Reciprocal links are not a magic solution to a flood of traffic. What they are though, is a solid and reliable means of building consistent quality traffic over the long term, if you do them right. They will get you a few more hits each month. But sites that get you hits will KEEP ON getting you hits, so your traffic grows slowly but steadily, the longer you do it.

Because many Search Engines now pay attention to "inbound links" or links to your site from other sites, the power of Reciprocal Links may be much more than just the few hits per month that they bring in from their site to yours. Those links have the power to compel the search engines to bring you more traffic as well.

So go get some links! Happy Hunting!