A reciprocal link is when two websites link to each other. You may have read that "Google discounts all reciprocal links". That is not quite right.
What Google actually says
Google's spam policies list "excessive link exchanges", meaning "link to me and I'll link to you" purely for ranking, as a link scheme. The key word is excessive.
Reciprocal links that are completely normal
- You link to a supplier and they list you as a stockist
- A wedding venue and a florist recommend each other
- A trade association links to members who link back to it
- Local businesses in the same high street feature each other
These links exist because they are useful to visitors. That is fine, and often helpful.
Reciprocal links that are risky
- Swapping links with unrelated websites you have no real connection with
- "Links" or "partners" pages full of random sites
- Joining link exchange networks or three-way link schemes
At best these are ignored. At worst they can trigger a manual action. Read more in our article on whether backlinks can hurt your rankings, or see how we approach safe link building.