Google sees a link as a recommendation for another website. And it is best to think of links as a recommendation.
Imagine if you were trying to decide what restaurant you were going to eat at. You read a review in well respected food magazine for a lovely Italian. You also read a review of a different restaurant in a car magazine and it too recommends a restaurant only this is a Chinese restaurant now which one are you likely to believe to have the best knowledge of restaurants? That’s...