1) Is it true that Google and other engines devalue an inbound link if it's found to be reciprocated right back? (i.e. A links to B, B links back to A)

2) Would this apply at domain level too? (i.e. reciprocal links not pointing to same exact pages but still on the same domain) What about subdomain?

Thanks.

Reciprocal links are devalued for PR purposes, but if they make sense for direct traffic purposes then go ahead.

As for part two of the question, it sounds like you are fishing for a "scheme" that you can get away with...

Such schemes are always found out, so I wouldn't try manipulating anything like that.

Reciprocal links are devalued for PR purposes, but if they make sense for direct traffic purposes then go ahead.

As for part two of the question, it sounds like you are fishing for a "scheme" that you can get away with...

Such schemes are always found out, so I wouldn't try manipulating anything like that.

Re: #2, I'm not really scheming. I just know that reciprocal links take on different forms and it helps to know if I need to guide my webmaster counterparts at all.

I'm seasoned enough to know that try to scam search engines is not a sustainable solution. Anyone else in these forums ought to take note of that too.

Thanks for your help--

In your examples, Caveman, both are recips.

Doesn't have to be a page to a page, it can be form the index of one site to a deep page on another, then from the index of the second site to a deep page on the first.

The links are counted as domain to domain, basically, so where within the domain is kind of irrelevant.

With regards to #1 question, it's true that reciprocal links are devalued by search engines especially Google as stated at the webmaster's gudeline :http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=66356&query=link&topic=&type=