Comparing Link Exchange vs. Guest Posting: Which Method Enhances Website Visibility More Effectively
There is no denying we are living in a digital era where consumers we want to bring under our wing obtain most of the information and perform a growing number of purchases online. With the things as they are, ensuring your website which makes the main pillar of all of your digital marketing efforts registered on the mainstream radar should be one of your biggest priorities. (Image by Creativeart on Freepik)
Search Engine Optimization, or in other words, ensuring your website ranks as high as possible in the Google SERP presents one of the most popular methods for meeting these goals. And, keeping in mind that, according to recent research, as much as 63% of all online experiences start with some sort of search query, it’s easy to see where this significance comes from.
But, which SEO approach is the most effective? In this article, we will compare two of the biggest heavy hitters – link exchange and guest posting.
Link Exchange and Link Building – A short introduction
But, before we take our gloves off, let us first quickly go through some of the link exchange and link-building basics for all of you who are still making your first SEO steps.
In the simplest of terms, link exchange largely revolves around the idea of guest posting. In this case, you will make a mutual agreement with a like-minded website to link to each other’s content. The main goal here is to build a strong network of links that serve as a sort of connecting tissue between the authoritative websites belonging to a similar niche to the benefit of all involved parties.
On the other hand, guest posting is a link-building strategy in which you provide free content for the other websites, and in return, you get a link back to your own online platform, all in order to get a landing page index faster. This process starts with identifying reputable websites that don’t necessarily need to belong to the niche of your company and creating high-quality content speaking to the core audience of those websites. Within these posts, you will place a link that will lead back to your website and, thus, increase its relevance and authority.
So, what pros and cons do these methodologies bring to the table?
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Guest posting pros and cons
Let us start this breakdown with guest posting, which still makes the more common link-building strategy.
Pros
One of the biggest advantages of this strategy is the sheer fact you are not limited by the fences of your own business niche. If you hire experienced link building services to ensure the quality of this process, the SEO professionals will have all the freedom in the world to get a bunch of high-quality backlinks from authoritative sites. These links serve as sort of recommendations that increase the visibility and authority of your website as well. You are also getting targeted traffic from the host’s website, diversifying the audience that comes to your platform in the process.
The other important benefits come in the form of:
● Increasing the brand exposure by spreading out your link-building efforts across diverse channels.
● Expanding the network of associates, which, in the long term, makes future link-building forays much easier.
● Improving your own content creation skills and industry knowledge by exploring different facets of the business arena.
● You are enhancing domain diversity which leads to a healthier and more consistent backlink profile.
● By posting on relevant and authoritative websites you are getting social proof for your own brand as well.
Cons
Of course, all these benefits come with a certain asterisk. For instance, establishing a core group of websites that are willing to publish your content requires a lot of time and effort, and, more often than not, you will need to go through a very taxing approval process. Also, you need to be sure the websites you are going to post on will keep their quality standards. Otherwise, you will get only the temporary traffic spikes and earn “negative SEO” in the long run. Finally, your business niche can considerably limit the number of options you have on the table.
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Link exchange pros and cons
Now let’s move to the link exchange which represents a safer, but, at the same time more limiting way of doing SEO.
Pros
One of the biggest advantages of exchanging links with the websites belonging to your own business is the fact that you are getting targeted traffic – the consumers who read the blog post and follow the link back to your website are much more likely to ultimately make the purchase. Outreach to other influential voices in your industry also creates networking opportunities and opens doors for future collaborations. Furthermore:
● Link exchange with established websites allows for much faster indexing.
● Compared to other SEO strategies, link exchange provides the biggest boost in organic rankings.
● Link exchange encourages the so-called referral traffic which produces increased user engagement and more consistent organic performance.
● Niche industries with limited mainstream appeal still get streamlined link-building opportunities.
Cons
Speaking in terms of cons, we need to point out that an excessive number of reciprocal links can be seen as unethical and excessive, and, as such, be penalized by Google. So, be sure to spread out your future posts as much as possible. Reciprocal and niche links also don’t have a fraction of the value of high-quality, authoritative links you get with guest posting. Finally, the constraints of your niche may produce a certain number of low-quality links and produce long-term link devaluation.
Final Thoughts
So, when all is said and done, which one of these two approaches should be your go-to option for the future? The most honest answer would be – both. Sure, there is always a danger of losing your focus and spreading yourself too thin, but the benefits both these strategies bring to the table are simply too big to ignore and pitfalls too dangerous to put all of your eggs into one basket. Looking at things from a more long-term perspective, the links you get with guest posting definitely have stronger legs. But, don’t cut yourself away from that sweet organic traffic you get with link exchange.
Author bio: Marie Nieves is a passionate blogger with an eye for design, a flair for storytelling, and a love for culture. She contributes regularly to various blogs and online magazines, all while satisfying her wanderlust by exploring states and countries near and far.
