Question about 3 way links and PR

[pdrew]

Hi!

I received an email with a 3-way link exchange proposal from a link developer at an SEO firm. Here's the offer:

---------------------------------------------------------
URL : (the site I'm to link to) PR4
Desc : (description of the site)

I will add your link at any one of the followings:

(site URL) PR1
or
(site URL) PR0
or
(site URL) PR1

Exchanging links will increase search engine rankings and website popularity. Both of us will be benefit with exchanging link. So, if you are interested, then please add my link at a page of your site which has atleast PR1 and let me know about that. In exchange, please send your link information and also let me know from where do you want link back.
----------------------------------------------------------------

So, he wants me to put a link to his PR4 site on my site, which is a PR4, and in return get a link back from a PR1 site. Obviously, that doesn't seem like a fair exchange, but, because his sites are linked, does my site get over and above the "link juice" of the PR1 site from the PR4 site? Or should I just trash the request, which my intuition tells me is the correct thing to do?

I get these link exchange requests and would like to know definitively if I should just ignore them. Thanks for any insight you can provide.

Cheers,

[crankydave]

Link only when and where appropriate. Link when you believe what you are linking to would be a benefit to your visitors. Linking because you believe it will be a benefit when it comes to the SE's is a mistake IMO.

I receive requests all the time. Several daily. They get summarily deleted and ignored.

Dave

[pdrew]

Wow, Cranky Dave, thank you for the speedy reply.

Excellent advice. I usually only link to relevant sites. I get exchange offers for real estate sites, travel sites, etc., which I do delete. The reason I posted the question is because his site sells production music, which is a field related to my field and my site's audience.

I should have phrased my question a little differently, say, as a hypothetical, just to understand the mechanics of what this SEO firm is trying to do and, if it isn't a good idea, it might help other folks make a decision about these offers, too.

If I were to take him up on his offer, would he get more benefit from the deal than I would, as far as link-building and SEO is concerned?

Thanks!

[crankydave]

Originally Posted by pdrew

Wow, Cranky Dave, thank you for the speedy reply.

Excellent advice. I usually only link to relevant sites. I get exchange offers for real estate sites, travel sites, etc., which I do delete. The reason I posted the question is because his site sells production music, which is a field related to my field and my site's audience.

I should have phrased my question a little differently, say, as a hypothetical, just to understand the mechanics of what this SEO firm is trying to do and, if it isn't a good idea, it might help other folks make a decision about these offers, too.

If I were to take him up on his offer, would he get more benefit from the deal than I would, as far as link-building and SEO is concerned?

Thanks!

First off, if you believe the site will be useful to your visitors then link to it if you like. Certainly being related is important but more important is whether or not you believe it will enhance your visitors experience when they are already on your site.

For me, I simply ignore the toolbar PR. However, remember that it's the PR of the page (internal PR not TBPR) where the link is located and not that of the site (homepage) when it comes to that particular "value".

As far as who it benefits... depends on how one defines "benefit".

Dave

[pdrew]

Thanks, CrankyDave! I understand clearly now and will delete the email.

As you suggested, I usually link only to related sites that are of interest or useful to my visitors. When I come across techniques folks use to try to improve rankings, I like to try to understand what they're trying to do, mainly out of curiosity. It never ceases to amaze me what people do to try to game a system, whether it's SE rankings, financial markets, gambling, etc.

All the best in the new year, Dave!

[crankydave]

Thank you Peter and to you as well.

Anytime there is something of "value" or perceived to have "value", there will always be those who wish to gain or exploit that "value".

Just keep focused on what the "true value" is and the best way to obtain it.

Dave