How to best link network of related websites

I have a network of websites all on one subject. Each one has a decent PR 5-6.

Each site focuses on a different niche and is complimentary to the others.

I'd like some advice as to the best way to link the sites together. I'd like it to be as natural and transparent as possible. I don't like the idea of 3 way linking, or anything that tries to hide relationships from Google.

Ideally perhaps I can just create relevant articles and interlink the sites that way?

Any ideas/advice would be greatly appreciated.

Mav

Well that depends greatly on one thing.

Are the sites hosted on the same server and IP address?

If you search each domain on domaintools.com does it return the same IP address?

If it does that means that you will be linking on the same "C Class IP Block".

Google can tell this and will give you almost 0 bennefit. There is a very good case for suggesting that this will get you penalised to as it is quite transparent.

If the sites are not hosted on the same server and are completely different set ups but related in theme and you have contorl over them I would suggest you link in a broken chain fashion.

Link A->B | B->C | C->D | D->E but do not make the chain by linking E->A.

I would suggest that linking sites together in any other fashion such as A-B | B -A or any triangular form is a waste of time and greatly reduces the weight given.

Some of the sites are hosted on the same server but not all.

Each of the sites are valuable and relevant resources to the visitors of the other sites. I believe what I'm doing is genuine but as soon as I start doing it in a broken link structure etc, it feels like I'm trying to manipulate the results, hide things from Google, and that's not my aim.

I guess I need to think longer and harder about this.

Anymore advice is welcomed.

Do these sites have a lot of links from the same sites?

If they have unique links then linking some of them together should not be a problem

If google see 10 sites all link to the same sites it could devalue the links or worse. Google is good at spoting link networks

Id start by adding links slowly IE 2 a day to the site that has the best chance of earning cash or meeting your goals

Then do the next one. watch and see if rank improves or gets worst.

Don't add all the links at once