Is my link page hurting my SEO?

You can see the url to my website in my signature below. On the bottom of the forum I have a link to my link exchange page labeled "Exchange Links". If you can check that out and tell me whether I should take the link page off or leave it on I would appreciate it. I've been exchanging links with other websites but some of them are not 100% relevant.

 

That link is problematic for three reasons:
1. "Link exchange" can harm your rankings, if Google find out that.
2. Having a link in a footer might be considered as "unnatural", since natural links usually don't go there, where someone hardly check them. Google may want penalize not only paid links, but unnatural links also.
3. Exchanging links doesn't bring any good anyway.

 

If the links are not relevant...remove them immediately.
Just my 2 cents...

Personally, I don't recommend link exchanging in general. Search engines (ie Google) probably don't give much credit to exchanged links. Linking should be/seem natural...built over time. If the site is worth linking to...link to it within content, etc. Others will naturally do the same with your site if they find it of interest.

 

You might want to consider this: Google: Links Schemes

 

i think.it's better to have link page.. considering that your site "TRUSTED SITE" but be responsible. attentive and aware to whom you want to exchange your links and put their links in your page.

 

Not only that but link pages bleed PageRank through the nose. If you're going to have one, make sure you have rel="nofollow" on the links themselves and clearly state that the link exchange is for the benefit of those who may find those sites being linked to useful, not for search engine rankings or PR purposes.

 

I second what boron said.

 

Only Relevant link can be consider in ranking.

 

Actually that's not entirely true. As long as the link doesn't point to a page that has been de-listed or otherwise banned, it will help, but only a (tiny) little bit. If the link points back to a page that is strong (read: doing well) it can help.

However the exact formula is known only by those who work for the search engines, and needless to say the odds of them talking are far less than those of the dog from the Bush's Baked Beans commercials actually succeeding in selling off the secret family recipe.

 

Thanks for the advice guys. I took my link page off. Is it too late to do that since Google already indexed my website? Will Google penalize my website in some way?

 

I stopped exchanging links with other webmasters. It's just so much easier to get link through press releases and article marketing.

 

now a days linkexchange compaign is not main source in off page SEO fectors. Today other so many potential sources r avai on internet market n Good recommended by Google SE n provide instant traffic & live yr link. so better to try avoid this.

 

It won't penalize your site in most cases, but your site will definately be re-adjusted in Google's database. Whether the rankings and PR go up or down will depend on a number of factors - just remember that the immediate impact (whether positive or negative) will be temporary in most cases.

As I said though, you can have the links page, just make sure that the outbound links have rel="nofollow" added to them; then send a polite email informing the other site owners of the change and then tell them that if they wish to have the link removed from your links page, that you will be more than happy to accomodate them (also explain that from now on all link exchanges will be to help direct human traffic and not PR).

 

If you have a links page and they are related to your content, then you should be fine. As others mentioned, try to avoid link exchanges.

Personally, I would NOT consider link exchanges bad between highly related sites on a limited basis, as this could occur NATURALLY.

 

How do you get relevant links? From your competitors?
I find it hard to get it without paying for it or exchanging links. Any ideas?
Are blogs counted? does the relevant links have to be high ranking in SE too?

 

You get them from related sites in your niche or topic - preferably by writing something that's going to be of use to people that the other site owner could link to as a trusted and valuable resource.

 

That's a good question.

It depends on your niche. Let's say you're a Realtor. You likely only represent a small region, so you try to get links from other realtors in different regions, or from blogs about realestate, etc.

Let's say you sell Ping Pong balls. Try to get links from Ping Pong teams or college ping pong clubs. You can also get links from customers or manufacturers.

It can be tough thinking of how to find links, but once you start thinking about all the different types of sites that may be related to yours, it starts to come easily.

The hard part is actually getting those backlinks!

 

I believe you can have atleast 2 or so exchange links..

If you wish to exchange links but not pass rank then just place the non follow tag or something

 

Blimey os google really that clever. I'm almost expecting two guys to come knocking on my door 'official google police, are you trying to cheat the SEO system....' !

 

That can be arranged you know...