Google now penalizes all links that are reciprocal.
Reciprocal links were a popular link-building strategy in the early 2000s. An agreement between two businesses to trade links to improve SEO is called a reciprocal link. It roughly translates to “I’ll link you, and you link me.” This is accomplished by making it clear that the websites work together or by making it easy to get to them. You could say that having a website generates them.
Google declared that it would limit every complementary connection. It has updated its algorithm to find link swaps with the goal of getting more inbound links. Google’s policy of attracting links to high-quality content prohibits reciprocal links. You are merely promoting another person’s content in the hope of promoting your own. Concentrating on high-quality content is the best approach.
Is it harmful to link in return?
Corresponding connections might be helpful, yet in the event that not utilized accurately, they will be destructive to your Website optimization. The negative effects of reciprocal links include:
Site punishment
Google may penalize your website if you use backlinks to manipulate search results.
Diminished status and authority
You might lose authority and rankings if you link to sites that aren’t related to your content. Linking to websites with low authority may not always be bad, but linking too much is bad.
Enhancing SEO to compete
When exchanging links, look for websites with content and themes that are similar to yours but not your rival’s. Because your link is unlikely to be reciprocated if you both use the same keywords.
Loss of faith
Search engines may lose confidence as a result of reciprocal links. This occurs when you have a lot of one-to-one links or if your anchor text is suspicious or irrelevant.