Is content syndication the same as making a link?
No. When you make a link you transfer the user from your web site to some other web site. When you participate in content syndication you pull content from some other web site directly into your own web site, so it looks like the content is located on your web site. Credit is given to the source of the content, but the viewer stays on your web site while they read the content, unless they choose to go directly from you to the content producer site.