Reciprocal Link
A reciprocal link is an arrangement where two websites agree to link to one another. Occasional natural reciprocity is completely normal and entirely harmless. Systematic link exchanges built purely to manipulate rankings are treated by Google as a link scheme.
Why it matters for your rankings
Reciprocal linking sits in a grey area that gets misrepresented in both directions. Genuine partners, suppliers and industry bodies link to each other all the time, and Google expects that.
What draws scrutiny is scale and intent. Spreadsheets of exchange partners, three-way link circles designed to disguise the pattern, and footer swaps across unrelated sites are recognisable and worth little. The tell is whether the link would exist without the reciprocity. A supplier you genuinely work with linking to you is fine. A pest control company in another country exchanging links with your accounting firm is not, and it is exactly the pattern Google's link spam systems were built to discount.
How to check it on your site
Check the pattern in your profile
Export referring domains and see how many you also link to. A high proportion suggests systematic exchange.
Judge relevance honestly
Ask whether the linking site's audience would genuinely benefit from finding you.
Avoid organised exchange schemes
Link exchange groups, shared spreadsheets and three-way link circles produce recognisable footprints that Google discounts, so they cost effort and return almost nothing.
Keep genuine partnerships
Real supplier, client, association and sponsorship links are legitimate regardless of whether the other site happens to link back to you.