A reciprocal link, by definition, is an exchange of links between two or more websites. Reciprocal linking is the single most important tool in building website popularity. When your site has many high quality links, it will enjoy higher rankings in the major search engines. This article's purpose is to guide you and to help you design start a successful reciprocal linking program.

Quality vs. Quantity

Indiscriminate linking can be harmful to your search engine rankings and your reputation. Instead, trade links with sites similar to yours. For instance, if you're a real estate agent, you should be linking with other agent sites. Search engines will give a higher weight to links from competitors

Five easy rules when choosing a link partner.
1. Make sure that the website is related to yours. For example, if you're a real estate agent, don't exchange links with pages about health food or casinos. Link to other real estate related websites, like mortgages or real estate agents in other areas.
2. Don't link to link farms. You can tell a page is a link farm by the fact that there's usually no company logo, hundreds of links and no real content.
3. Think of your outbound link as a recommendation for that site. If the web site or link page is of poor quality, don't link to it. Ask yourself, "Would I recommend this page to my visitors?"
4. Ensure your link will be found by search engines. Just paste the URL of the web page you'll be linked on into Google, Yahoo, or MSN. If the page comes up in the results, it's indexed.
5. Examine the links on the potential link exchange partner's web page. Make sure the links point straight to other sites and are not redirected or use JavaScript linking code.
If done correctly, reciprocal linking can be a great way to increase your online traffic. So, don't forget! Always look before you link!

Article courtesey of Scott James Hubbard - A Tucson, Arizona REALTOR®http://www.scottjameshubbard.com/reciprocal-link-exchange.html