All we webmasters know the importance and procedure to exchange links. We are on the job all the time. There are some very important points that we overlook or are ignorant about, which affect our ranking in a big way. When we are working hard, we might as well be doing it in the right direction.

The first important factor- I will start with a problem everyone can relate to. That we have to keep going back to all the sites we have exchanged links with, to check if our link is still there or ahs been removed intentionally or otherwise. Its a big waste of time. We should consider subscribing to the software, which automates the process to an extent and gives us intimation if someone removes our link from their site. It saves us from a major headache forever. Its the first thing one should invest in as and when budget permits.

Point Two: Always accept and request link exchange with sites with a similar theme as yours. Google and other Search Engine Robots give a lot of weight to relevancy. If your site is dedicated to online educations theme, dont encourage pharmaceutical links. It may not help.

Point Three: If you are placing a link exchange request or accepting one with a site which is not related to the main theme of your site or is indirectly related to it, in such a case make sure that these sites have special pages and categories related to your theme. And also make sure they have placed your link on these pages. Likewise, you should also have pages which have links pertaining to their theme. Mixed-Miscellaneous kind of a page helps none. Gambling link on Pharmacy page C who will it benefit? What kind of target audience do you think will visit this kind of a page?

Point Four: When you send link details (i.e. URL, Anchor Text and Description) make sure your anchor tag has your main keywords in it. If your link can be placed on a page which has at least one of your keywords in their Title Tag and Keywords, it works best. This kind of a page will move up the search engine faster. And so will your site.

Point Five: Three way linking is acceptable. The best way to get one way liking without paying for it is through articles. Write articles and submit them to Article banks, and sites dedicated to articles exclusively. When people use your content they give you credit for it by placing your link on their site. This works like magic if done in the right manner.

Keep these five points in mind while exchanging links. These are small things which webmasters dont bother about. Not realizing these small things can make a big difference. As webmasters, who are serious about making money online or doing home business let us not ignore it.