Asking other websites to link your website when the want to be in your directory

[teconsite.com]

Hello,

We have 3 web directories, and I wonder if it is legal for search engines to ask people who want to be in the directory to link to a particular website in order to be in our directory. I mean, it is free adding the url in the directory but if they lwant to be in the directory they have to ink to a website we have decided.
Is this correct, or is punishable?

Thanks!

[rhutchings]

Technically this just creates a link farm, of which the search engines can easily draw the connections.  They know that you, linking to them, and them linking to these other sites are all connected.  Give them 6 months and they will have all the lines drawn between your dots

Not the best long term strategy.... but I also know that this still works in the real world (so I've heard.....:)  Short term you can get some valuable link juice there, and will probably see some benefits.  But know that you could get smacked down one day.

[RyanKent]

What you are referring to is link triangles. It's black hat, and punishable.

You clearly want to perform a link exchange, but you know the links would be discounted. In order to manipulate the system, you link to another site to avoid the link exchange.

The bottom line, it is a search engine's job to determine which web pages are the most relevant and reliable for a user. Links are a large part of their calculations. Anything you do to muddy the waters and make it difficult to determine whether a link occurs naturally, or it is paid for / exchanged, it black hat and would be subject to consequences upon discovery.