The Internet is full of different links that connect websites and specific pages. Chances are, you probably have pages on your website that link out to other relevant content on the web. Now, these links that connect to other relevant content are called outbound links. You should use them! But, there is still the question if these outbound links affect SEO and how your website ranks in search engine results. And that’s exactly what we are going to present to you in this article. So, stick around to the end to learn how they affect your SEO efforts.
Can outbound links affect SEO and why are they important?
Outbound links, also called external links, direct visitors from pages on your website to other sites on the Internet. Unlike inbound links, which send visitors to other pages on your website, outbound links send visitors to entirely different sites. If another website links to you, it is considered an outbound link. At the same time, if you link to another website, it is also an outbound link. Typically, external links pass more value than internal links. This is because search engines believe that what other people say about you is more important than what you say about yourself. In other words, if more websites link to your site, you will appear to be a more credible source.
Earning links to your website from other authority sources is an important ranking factor, and it can help you show up higher in search results for keywords and phrases related to your business. In fact, SEO experts agree that external links are the most important source of ranking power because search engines view them as third-party votes for your website.
External links are also harder to manipulate, so they are one of the best ways for search engines to determine the popularity and relevance of a particular website or page. There are two kinds of outbound links: nofollow and dofollow. Dofollow links pass on ranking power from your website to the target page, while nofollow links do not. In other words, nofollow links tell search engines not to follow links.
Why are they important?
They are a great way for sustainable link building. Here are several reasons why you should definitely include outbound links on your website:
- Increase in popularity
- Increase in relevance
- Reputation improvement
- Boosting value
- Encouragement of backlinks
Heightened popularity
Search engines, like Google, aim to show searchers the most relevant results for their search queries. And external links are a great metric for determining the popularity of a given web page. The more links a page receives from other sources, the more popular it appears. This sends positive signals to search engines and can boost a page’s rank in search results, meaning that more searchers will click and view the content.
Increased relevance
Links also provide important clues about the relevance of a page, and this is extremely helpful for search engines. Ultimately, search engines want users to find the information they are looking for, and when you include links to helpful content, you are doing them a great service. In addition, the anchor text used in the links is usually a good indicator of the content on the target page or website. For example, if you are linking to a page about cat food, you wouldn’t make your anchor text say “dog toys for sale.”
The target and source page, as well as the domain contained in a link also provides helpful hints to search engines about the relevancy of a particular page. Since links point to related content, search engines can better establish knowledge hubs on the Internet that they can use to verify the importance of a page or website. In other words, linking out to relevant content helps search engines understand your niche, and it can increase trust in your website.
Improved reputation
Outbound links affect SEO. They can also impact the reputation of your site. And that’s only one of the ways your business can use dofollow links. If you link out to spammy sites, it will reflect negatively on your own website. The minute someone clicks on a link to a spam site, they will remember that you sent them there, and they will likely associate your website with the spam content. This is why link farms and reciprocal link schemes are such a bad idea and lead to penalties.
Sites with zero outbound links are dead ends, and people typically don’t like dead ends. This can make your website appear to be unhelpful and inferior, which can negatively impact your rankings in search results. Not including any outbound links on your website is like reading a research report with no bibliography. People will wonder where you are getting the information and if it’s coming from a high authority source. On the other hand, including outbound links to relevant, high-authority sources can boost your reputation and help you appear as a more authoritative source.
Boosted value
No matter how great your website is, it will never contain all the relevant information someone might be looking for about a specific topic. By linking out to other helpful content, you can increase the value that your website provides to visitors and make their experience more rewarding. Ultimately, if people know that you publish and link to quality content, they will want to keep coming back for more. And they will consider your site to be a more valuable source of information on the web.
Encouragement of backlinks
In addition, when you link out to other credible sources on the web, they will be more likely to link to your site. And it signals to other people that you want to participate in the web’s natural linking environment. Including links to relevant content is a great way to build incentives for bloggers, journalists, and website owners to engage with your site and link to your content. This not only improves the perceived authority of your site but can also boost your rankings in search results and help more people discover and interact with your business. We hope this answers the question of whether outbound links affect SEO. But feel free to contact our Link Department experts if you need more information.