This is a tricky one and I think it really depends on the context and how different the niches actually are, in general, Google prefers relevant backlinks, and I’ve found that links from totally unrelated niches tend to have very little SEO impact, and sometimes can even raise red flags if done repeatedly.
That said, not all “different niche” exchanges are bad, here’s what I mean: i run a tech blog, and I exchanged a backlink with a legal website that focuses on data privacy, while our industries are different (tech vs. law), the topic overlap was clear, i had an article on GDPR compliance for SaaS startups, and she had a resource on consumer rights.
That link made sense contextually and likely added value for both audiences, google had no problem with it, what I wouldn’t do is trade a link from, say, a cryptocurrency blog to a pet grooming site, that kind of stuff screams “manipulative” and won’t help your rankings.
So here’s my general rule:
- If the link fits naturally in the content
- If both sites have a logical audience overlap
- And if the link adds value for readers
... then even cross-niche links can work.
But if it’s clearly forced or off-topic, you’re better off skipping it, what about you all, ever done a niche crossover that actually worked for SEO?
