We all know that backlinks (links from other sites to yours) are good for your SEO efforts.
But what about linking out from your own?
Does it help with SEO?
Let’s find out.
Link building cheat sheet
What are Outbound Links?
An outbound or outgoing link is a hyperlink on your website that points to a page on a different website.
They are also commonly referred to as external links although that is not entirely accurate.
“External link” simply means that it leads to a third-party, external website and can both be outbound and inbound.
For example, this image source link is outbound:
Outbound links are the opposite of inbound links (also called backlinks), which are links from other reputable websites to yours.
Inbound links are one of the biggest ranking factors for SEO because of a concept called PageRank (or link equity, or “link juice”),
It’s part of Google’s overall algorithm that assesses the importance of web pages based on the quantity and quality of links pointing to them.
A healthy link profile is made up with both inbound and relevant outbound links.
It sounds technical – but it’s actually pretty straightforward.
If you want to learn more about what makes backlinks so important, watch this video:
How do Outbound Links Help SEO?
External linking to relevant, high-quality sources improves the user experience by providing readers with additional context and information.
In Layman’s terms, citing another blog post that supports your own content and expands the topic further makes it look like you know what you’re talking about.
Like this statistic link to a research on why startups fail:
Google values user experience above all else – and while outbound links are not a direct ranking factor, they can massively influence your UX.
What is a ranking factor, however, is your CTR, or click-through rate.
Among other metrics, Google tracks CTR not only for search results but also for links within web pages, including outbound links.
A higher CTR on your outbound links suggests that your content is engaging and that users find the linked page valuable.
This positive user behavior can indirectly signal to search engines that your content is relevant and helpful, potentially boosting your rankings.
Do Outbound Links Give Away PageRank?
No, you are not losing any PageRank, or “link juice” by linking to other websites.
If it’s a dofollow link, the recipient gets their share of PageRank – but it is not detracted from your page.
It simply passes through.
Meaning, you don’t lose anything by linking out.
But, keep in mind that the more links you have on a page, the less PageRank each individual link is able to pass along.
With that being said, you can definitely hurt your website with a bunch of bad outbound links.
Can an Outgoing Link Hurt SEO?
Yes, outbound links can be detrimental to your search engine optimization, in more ways than one.
Let’s walk through each case, and some best practices to avoid any SEO damage.
Broken links
Broken links create a poor user experience and can signal neglect to search engines.
Regularly run an SEO site audit and check your outbound links to ensure they are still working.
You can use free plugins Check My Links to quickly scan pages for broken links, or premium SEO monitoring tools like Ahrefs and Semrush to automate the process.
Broken links on other websites, however, are good for you because they can be extremely powerful link building opportunities.
Read our broken link building guide to learn more.
If it’s to a competitor (in most cases)
Obviously.
Outbound linking to a direct competitor can potentially drive traffic away from your site.
What if, for example, you wrote a top 10 article and decided to include your competitors for transparency – is it fine to link to them then?
It’s up to you, but we wouldn’t. An unlinked mention is enough.
If there are too many
Overusing outbound links, especially if they aren’t relevant to the content, can dilute the focus of your page and make it appear spammy.
Focus on quality over quantity and only include links that genuinely add value for the reader.
1-3 outbound links per page is a good rule of thumb, leaving space for plenty of internal linking.
Too many outbound links can make you look like a link farm:
If it’s a paid link not marked as sponsored
Failing to properly disclose paid links (using attributes like rel=”sponsored”) violates Google search guidelines and can result in penalties.
You shouldn’t sell backlinks in the first place, but if you do, they need to be properly marked as pad.
If it’s too early in the text
Placing links in the very first paragraph or two of your content can make it seem like you’re prioritizing sending traffic elsewhere rather than engaging the reader with your own content.
This applies to internal links as well.
Additionally, early text links reduce your users’ time on page, which is also a search engine ranking factor.
Ideally, you want them to stay on your page for at least a minute or two, and only move on then.
While there’s no strict rule against this, it’s generally better to establish context and engage the reader before introducing multiple outbound links to get the most out of your content marketing.
Link building cheat sheet
Now Over to You
In conclusion, outbound links help SEO performance by associating your content with other high-quality pieces within your niche.
However, inbound links help much more by directing PageRank to your website rather than directing it to others.
Need help boosting your inbound link profile?
Don’t hesitate to start your 14-day free trial with Respona to see how we can help.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Do outbound links directly improve my search engine rankings?
No, outbound links don’t directly pass PageRank to your site in the same way that inbound links (backlinks) do.
However, they can indirectly influence your rankings by improving user experience, demonstrating topical relevance, and signaling content quality to search engines.
How many outbound links should I include on a page?
There’s no magic number, but focusing on quality over quantity is key.
Only include links that are relevant and add value for the reader.
Aim for a natural flow within your content. 1-3 high quality outbound links is a good rule of thumb.
Is it bad to link to my competitors?
In most cases, linking to direct competitors isn’t advisable, for obvious reasons.
However, there might be exceptions, such as when citing research or providing a balanced perspective.
Use your best judgment.
What happens if I have broken outbound links on my website?
Broken links create a poor user experience and can negatively impact your SEO strategy.
Search engines may see them as a sign of neglect.
Regularly check and fix any broken outbound links.
Should I use “nofollow” for all my outbound links?
There is no need to use the nofollow tag for every relevant outbound link.
Use nofollow links primarily for sponsored placements, untrusted sources, or links in user-generated content like comments.
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