An outbound link is a hyperlink that directs users from your website to another external domain or third party webpage.
What Is an Outbound Link?
An outbound link (also called an external link) is a hyperlink that points from your website to another website. It connects your content to external resources, sources, tools, or references, helping users find additional value or verifying information you’ve mentioned.
Example: Linking to a reputable blog post or research article from your own content.
Why Outbound Links Matter in SEO:
- Credibility & Trust: Linking to authoritative sources improves content reliability and shows that your content is well-researched.
- Topical Relevance: Helps search engines better understand the context of your content through linked sources.
- User Experience: Adds value by directing users to helpful, relevant resources.
- SEO Signals: While outbound links don’t directly boost rankings, they support SEO indirectly through better content quality and user signals.
Best Practices for Outbound Links:
- Link to authoritative, trustworthy sites (e.g., .gov, .edu, or industry leaders).
- Use descriptive, relevant anchor text instead of generic phrases like “click here.”
- Avoid linking to competitors unless it’s necessary or strategic.
- Set links to open in a new tab so users don’t leave your site entirely.
- Use
nofollowfor promotional or untrusted links, especially in user-generated content or affiliate placements. - Audit outbound links regularly to avoid broken or outdated URLs.
Example of an Outbound Link:
If you’re writing a blog on SEO strategies and link to Google’s SEO Starter Guide — that’s an outbound link.
