Reciprocal link

A reciprocal link is one half of a mutual pair. You link to a site, and it links back to you. Some happen naturally, for example when two businesses mention each other in a partner page or when two bloggers cite each other's work.

Occasional reciprocal links are unremarkable. Trouble starts when a large share of your links are reciprocal, especially from sites with nothing in common. That pattern is a footprint of link exchange schemes. Google has said excessive link exchanges can be treated as manipulation, though it doesn't say how many are too many.

Practical point: when you review a link profile, look at how many referring domains you also link to. A handful of genuine partners is fine. If the list looks like a directory of swaps, stop adding to it. Spend that effort on content or outreach that earns links one way, from sites that have no reason to expect a return.