Reciprocal Link Advice

[bjalc2011]

My client site has a good one-way link from an authority site (in this case a member directory within the industry association).

In order to use some data from the industry association on my client's site, the association has requested a link back to their site.

Recognising that this will weaken the value of the one-way link, would it be make sense to no-follow the return link? But is there value in linking out to an authority site?

What recommendations do you have for this situation?

Thanks

[Theo-NL]

If the association has explicitly requested a link back, I think it would damage the trust between the client and the association to make that link a no-followed one. Yes, the value of a one way link is greater than that of a reciprocal one in most situations, but in this case the trust of the association (which already links to you!) should be worth more than the 2 milligrams of extra link juice you might earn by no-following the link.

[TellThemEverything]

You should always link to the authorities in your niche anyway in my opinion. That shows google what network you are a part of..