While Google has been repeatedly warning, penalizing and even banning websites which does Link Exchanges, it is quite strange to see Skip, Senior Product Manager for Office Live Small Business promote link exchange openly.
On the MS Office Live blog, Skip openly propagates to go for link exchanges. He states, “If you want lots of visitors to your Web site, it helps to have lots of links to your Web site. Link exchanges — sometimes called reciprocal linking or link swaps — are a popular way to generate more links.”
While Google, Yahoo and MSN guidelines severely warn webmasters not to indulge in any such activities, it is quite surprising to see a senior product manager recommend one of the most familiar black hat methods.
Going on further, Skip also recommends to even use link-management software and join automated link-exchange programs. Jeess.. That’s hypocrisy! That’s blasphemy against search engines!!
He recommends several ways to do link exchange.
1. Do it manually
2. Use link-management Software
3. Join an automated link-exchange program
4. Pay someone else to create your links
Well the article does not end with that. He even recommends third-party tools to effectively increase links. I wonder if he works for Microsoft or it looks like these third-parties have paid him hands full to have their products promoted.