Dumb SEO Questions

(Entry was posted by Rob Baker on this post in the Dumb SEO Questions community on Facebook, 01/22/2014).

Is it safe to exchange listings of our services with quality accommodation websites?

I`m loving this community, thanks to the founders for setting it up! I run a travel website which focuses inter alia on flights. I find a lot of value in listing our services on quality accommodation websites in return for us listing their services on our website; as it results in their customers using us for flights, and vice versa our clients using them for accommodation. 

This is obviously a good business practice and what we`d do if search engines didn`t exist, but is it safe from an SEO perspective??
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YOUR ANSWERS

Selected answers from the Dumb SEO Questions Facebook & G+ community.

  • Rob Baker: I'm loving this community, thanks to the founders for setting it up! I run a travel website which focuses inter alia on flights. I find a lot of value in listing our services on quality accommodation websites in return for us listing their services on our website; as it results in their customers using us for flights, and vice versa our clients using them for accommodation. ;

    This is obviously a good business practice and what we'd do if search engines didn't exist, but is it safe from an SEO perspective?
  • Ian Wortley: Officially it is a link building scheme :  ;https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/66356?hl=en

    However the document does use the word "excessive" when related to reciprocal links. In other words, you clearly are getting away with it so far, but don't push it so that the majority of links are gained through link exchanges. Everything in moderation. ;

    I've heard some say to nofollow the outbound links from your site, but that doesn't make sense to me. It's sending mixed messages - "look at this site, but I don't want to be associated with it myself".

View original question in the Dumb SEO Questions community on Facebook, 01/22/2014).

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