A reciprocal link is one that two webpages share with each other. Website B, for instance, may add a mutual connection back to Website A if Website A connects to Website B. Two websites will connect to one another as a consequence of a mutual link.

In general, reciprocal links are built to either build a relationship between two websites or to improve search engine rankings. The administrators of two websites may determine that it makes sense to connect to one another if they both offer relevant information. They can create a relationship online by including backlinks to each other's webpages. Additionally, the administrator may add mutual connections to each site if a business or person runs numerous websites so that users are aware of the other websites.

Search engine placement can also be improved through reciprocal linking. Reverse links can improve a website's search engine rating because inbound connections, also known as "inlinks," are taken into account by search engine algorithms. However, not all mutual links are advantageous because search engines also take into account the content of each website offering an inbound connection.