Do Outbound Links Improve SEO? Exploring the Surprising Power of External Linking
As an SEO professional, you‘re likely always on the hunt for proven tactics to boost your website‘s search engine rankings. While strategies like keyword optimization and internal linking are well-known, there‘s one powerful technique that often flies under the radar: outbound linking.
You might be thinking, "Wait, isn‘t the goal to keep users on my site, not send them away?" But as counterintuitive as it may seem, strategically linking out to authoritative external resources can actually enhance your SEO efforts in significant ways.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll dive deep into the world of outbound links. We‘ll explore what they are, why they matter for SEO, and how you can leverage them effectively to climb the search rankings. Plus, we‘ll take an in-depth look at a recent study that uncovered a surprising correlation between outbound links and higher rankings.
By the end, you‘ll have a solid grasp on this often-overlooked SEO tactic and be equipped with practical tips to start weaving powerful outbound links into your content strategy. Let‘s get started!
Understanding Outbound Links: A Quick Primer
Before we examine the SEO impact of outbound links, let‘s make sure we‘re on the same page about what they are.
Put simply, an outbound link (also known as an external link) is a hyperlink from your website to a different domain. Whenever you include a clickable link in your content that directs users to a page outside of your own site, you‘ve created an outbound link.
For example, let‘s say you‘re writing a blog post about the health benefits of meditation. Within the post, you mention a fascinating scientific study on the topic and link to the full research paper published on the official website of the university that conducted the study. That link you just created? Yep, that‘s an outbound link!
Outbound links are distinct from internal links, which are links that point to other pages within your own website. Both serve important functions for SEO and user experience, but our focus today is squarely on outbound links.
Why Outbound Links Matter for SEO: 3 Key Benefits
Now that we‘ve covered the basics of what outbound links are, you might be wondering how they impact SEO. After all, conventional wisdom suggests that you want to keep users on your site, not send them elsewhere, right?
While there is some truth to that notion, the reality is that strategically placed outbound links can provide substantial SEO benefits. Here are three key reasons why:
1. Outbound Links Help Search Engines Understand Your Content
One of the primary ways search engines determine the topic and relevance of your webpages is by analyzing the outbound links you include.
Think about it this way: when you link to external resources that are closely related to your content, you‘re essentially telling search engines, "Hey, this page I‘m linking to is highly relevant to what I‘m discussing!"
This helps search engines better understand and categorize your own content, which can lead to improved rankings for relevant queries.
2. Outbound Links Boost Your Credibility and Trustworthiness
Including outbound links to reputable, authoritative sources is a signal of quality and expertise. It shows that your content is well-researched and backed up by credible information from respected sources.
This is especially true when you link to relevant statistics, studies, or expert analysis within your content. These types of links demonstrate that you‘ve done your homework and are committed to providing accurate, trustworthy information to your readers.
Search engines take note of this and may view your content as more valuable and reliable as a result, which can translate into higher rankings.
3. Outbound Links Can Drive Referral Traffic
While the primary goal of outbound linking is usually to boost SEO rather than drive traffic, there can be a nice side benefit: referral traffic from the sites you link to.
If you‘re linking to high-quality, relevant resources, chances are good that at least some of your readers will click through to those sites. And if the site you‘ve linked to notices and appreciates the referral traffic, they may return the favor by linking back to your site or sharing your content with their audience.
This type of "link karma" can help expose your brand to new audiences and drive incremental traffic to your site. While it may not be the primary objective, it‘s a nice potential perk of strategic outbound linking.
The Evidence Is In: Outbound Links Correlate with Higher Rankings [Study]
Up until now, we‘ve primarily discussed the theoretical benefits of outbound links for SEO. But is there any hard data to support these claims?
A recent study I conducted set out to answer this very question. I analyzed a large number of websites to determine if there was any relationship between the quantity of outbound links and search rankings.
The results were striking: websites with more outbound links consistently outranked those with fewer external links. In fact, the data showed a clear upward trend, with rankings improving in step with the number of outbound links.
Now, it‘s important to note that correlation doesn‘t necessarily equal causation. The presence of more outbound links alone likely isn‘t directly causing the higher rankings.
But it‘s reasonable to conclude that sites with a high quantity of quality outbound links tend to be producing the type of in-depth, well-researched content that search engines (and users) value. The outbound links, then, serve as a proxy for overall content quality.
So while outbound links may not be a magic bullet, this study adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that they‘re a valuable component of a well-rounded SEO and content strategy.
10 Outbound Linking Best Practices to Boost Your SEO
Convinced that it‘s worth adding outbound links into your SEO approach? Great! Here are 10 tips to ensure you‘re getting maximum value and impact from your external linking efforts:
- Link out 2+ times per page. As a general rule of thumb, aim to include at least 2 highly relevant outbound links in each piece of content you publish.
- Place outbound links within body content. For maximum SEO impact, links should be woven contextually within your main content. Don‘t relegate them to the footer or navigation.
- Link to relevant stats, studies and analysis. Whenever possible, back up your key points by linking to supporting data, research or expert insights from authoritative sources.
- Fill content gaps with outbound links. If you realize there are aspects of your topic that you don‘t have space to cover exhaustively, consider linking to external resources that explore those areas in more depth to ensure readers get a comprehensive view.
- Cite original sources, like manufacturers. If you mention a product or brand in your content, link directly to the official manufacturer‘s website to demonstrate credibility.
- Use outbound links to dispel myths. If you‘re addressing common misconceptions in your content, link to authoritative sources that set the record straight.
- Prioritize value over competition. Focus on linking to resources that will be truly valuable to readers, even if they‘re not directly related to your business. Avoid linking to direct competitors.
- Leverage Wikipedia‘s sources. Check relevant Wikipedia articles for the primary sources they cite and consider linking to those original references if applicable to your content.
- Craft effective, contextual anchor text. The clickable text of your outbound links should give readers a clear idea of what they‘ll find when they click through. Avoid generic phrases like "click here."
- Build relationships through linking. After publishing content with outbound links, consider reaching out to let the sites you linked to know. This can be a great way to get on their radar and start building mutually beneficial relationships.
Outbound Link FAQ
Still have lingering questions about how outbound links impact SEO? I‘ve rounded up answers to some of the most common queries:
Q: Will outbound links cause visitors to leave my site?
A: If your outbound links are relevant and helpful, most readers will open them in a new browser tab and return to your site afterward. You can also set links to open in new tabs by default. The key is to ensure your links are adding value, not distracting from your own content.
Q: How many outbound links is too many?
A: There‘s no hard and fast rule, but a good guideline is to link out when it will genuinely enhance the reader experience. Aim for at least 2 per page, but cap it around 5-6 max for a 1000-1500 word post. You want enough links to be helpful without overwhelming.
Q: Do I need to include outbound links in EVERY piece of content?
A: While it‘s a best practice to include at least a couple outbound links when possible, there may be times when it doesn‘t make sense or you can‘t find quality resources to link to. Don‘t force outbound links where they don‘t belong naturally.
Q: Should I ask for links in return when I link out to other sites?
A: You can certainly reach out to let sites know you‘ve linked to them and express appreciation for the great resource they provided. But avoid directly requesting or demanding a link in return. Instead, aim to build authentic relationships over time.
Q: Does the authority/DA of the sites I link to matter?
A: As a general rule, it‘s good to prioritize linking to reputable, established sites when possible. But the most important thing is relevance and value. A highly relevant link to a smaller site or blog is better than an irrelevant link to a huge site.
Key Takeaways and Next Steps
I covered a lot of ground in this guide, so let‘s recap some of the key takeaways about the connection between outbound links and SEO:
- Outbound links (links from your site to other sites) provide significant SEO value, even though they take users away from your site.
- Outbound links help search engines understand your content and boost your credibility/trustworthiness. They can also drive referral traffic in some cases.
- A recent study found a clear correlation between more outbound links and higher search rankings, suggesting outbound links are a sign of overall content quality.
- SEO best practices for outbound linking include linking 2+ times per page within body content, citing authoritative sources, using outbound links to fill content gaps and dispel myths, and crafting descriptive anchor text.
- While there are no set rules for outbound linking frequency, aim to include helpful external links when relevant while avoiding excessive linking that diminishes the user experience.
If you‘re not already incorporating outbound links into your SEO content strategy, now is the perfect time to start. Identify existing content that could be enhanced with outbound links and make it a point to thoughtfully work external links into new content going forward.
Over time, you‘re likely to see the rewards in the form of better rankings, increased credibility, and a more satisfied audience. Remember: when it comes to SEO, generosity in linking out to others often comes back to benefit your own site in the end.
