We have investigated the magnetic properties of Ni nanoaggregates produced by ion implantation in ZnO single crystals. Several deviations from classical models usually adopted to describe the magnetic properties of nanoparticle systems were found. The strain between host and Ni nanoaggregates induces a magnetic anisotropy with a preferred direction. We show that these anisotropy effects can be misinterpreted as a ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic coupling among the nanoaggregates similar to that of an oriented, interacting nanocrystal ensemble. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.