Do you think Link Trading is now a bad idea given G's new update?
 

I just saw this thread today, and got thinking about just in the last month or so started using Links spun. I'm wondering if link trading with others will now be seen as SEO optimization, and if this is a bad idea.

Also wondering if we should re-think reciprocal links for link submits? (Ok, kind of on the topic of the link list forum, but also for here). And if having so many back links from free sites with essentially the same anchors is also hurting us.

What does everyone think?

IMHO backlink from various quality sites is great thing, compared to the backlink from those kind of sites that are on Google's bottom - effect of these is IMHO neutral.

I already changed PA's on my clp LL settings, so he/she can choose if reciprocal will be on the same page, root domain page or ......wait ............... none.

I'd almost rather have 1 link from their base they submit free sites from and no recips from free sites then 100's of backlinks from the free sites. I know we have tossed this around before.

I second that |thumb

TGPs often out rank LLs and they have recips on just about every page.

Personally I don't think recips have much influence one way or the other.

I wouldn’t mind giving a try at displaying everything in a frame like The Hun has started doing. Not sure submitters would be too happy with that though.

I read an article saying that too many 'unnatural' links will be seen as over optimization. Unnatural links being keyword anchor links, the kind that in the past had value. As a Linkspun user, this bothers me since there we set the anchor text for the link, and the same anchor gets used over and over for the link.

A more natural way might be to have different anchors, or simply use the url as an anchor as you would see in casual sharing of a link.