{"id":6825,"date":"2022-11-10T11:45:30","date_gmt":"2022-11-10T11:45:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/10\/outgoing-links-are-they-beneficial-for-your-site-or-not\/"},"modified":"2022-11-10T11:45:30","modified_gmt":"2022-11-10T11:45:30","slug":"outgoing-links-are-they-beneficial-for-your-site-or-not","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/10\/outgoing-links-are-they-beneficial-for-your-site-or-not\/","title":{"rendered":"Outgoing links: Are they beneficial for your site or not?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Google dismisses the idea that outgoing links are considered a direct ranking signal \u2013 but tests have proven otherwise.<\/p>\n<p>Who should SEOs believe? Why should we link out at all?<\/p>\n<p>When asked about the impact of outgoing links on \u201clink juice,\u201d Google\u2019s John Mueller <a href=\"https:\/\/www.seroundtable.com\/google-link-juice-ignore-34179.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">flatly ignored the question<\/a> stating again that any <a href=\"https:\/\/www.seroundtable.com\/google-forget-link-juice-29859.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">advice containing the term \u201clink juice\u201d<\/a> should not be taken seriously. <\/p>\n<p>Thus, we have to research a little deeper and go back a few years to find out.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/10\/outgoing-links-are-they-beneficial-for-your-site-or-not\/#Incoming_vs_outgoing_links_Do_they_both_matter\" >Incoming vs. outgoing links: Do they both matter?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/10\/outgoing-links-are-they-beneficial-for-your-site-or-not\/#Why_are_SEO_experts_scared_to_link_out\" >Why are SEO experts scared to link out?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/10\/outgoing-links-are-they-beneficial-for-your-site-or-not\/#Bad_neighborhoods\" >Bad neighborhoods<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/10\/outgoing-links-are-they-beneficial-for-your-site-or-not\/#Link_schemes_ie_reciprocal_links_link_farms\" >Link schemes (i.e., reciprocal links, link farms)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/10\/outgoing-links-are-they-beneficial-for-your-site-or-not\/#Text_link_ads\" >Text link ads<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/10\/outgoing-links-are-they-beneficial-for-your-site-or-not\/#User-generated_content_UGC\" >User-generated content (UGC)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/10\/outgoing-links-are-they-beneficial-for-your-site-or-not\/#Guest_posts_widgets_infographics_etc\" >Guest posts, widgets, infographics, etc.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/10\/outgoing-links-are-they-beneficial-for-your-site-or-not\/#Broken_links\" >Broken links<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/10\/outgoing-links-are-they-beneficial-for-your-site-or-not\/#What_does_Google_say_about_the_benefits_of_outgoing_links\" >What does Google say about the benefits of outgoing links?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/10\/outgoing-links-are-they-beneficial-for-your-site-or-not\/#Proof_of_authority\" >Proof of authority<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/10\/outgoing-links-are-they-beneficial-for-your-site-or-not\/#Citing_sources\" >Citing sources<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/10\/outgoing-links-are-they-beneficial-for-your-site-or-not\/#More_resources\" >More resources<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/10\/outgoing-links-are-they-beneficial-for-your-site-or-not\/#Proving_the_direct_SEO_impact_of_outgoing_links\" >Proving the direct SEO impact of outgoing links<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/10\/outgoing-links-are-they-beneficial-for-your-site-or-not\/#Why_do_outgoing_links_make_sense_beyond_SEO_considerations\" >Why do outgoing links make sense beyond SEO considerations?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/10\/outgoing-links-are-they-beneficial-for-your-site-or-not\/#Getting_noticed\" >Getting noticed<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/10\/outgoing-links-are-they-beneficial-for-your-site-or-not\/#Give_and_take\" >Give and take<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/10\/outgoing-links-are-they-beneficial-for-your-site-or-not\/#User_experience\" >User experience<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/10\/outgoing-links-are-they-beneficial-for-your-site-or-not\/#How_to_link_out_to_make_it_count\" >How to link out to make it count<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/10\/outgoing-links-are-they-beneficial-for-your-site-or-not\/#Do_not_add_a_%E2%80%98nofollow_when_you_dont_have_to\" >Do not add a \u2018nofollow\u2019 when you don&#8217;t have to<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/10\/outgoing-links-are-they-beneficial-for-your-site-or-not\/#Check_and_update_outgoing_links_regularly\" >Check and update outgoing links regularly<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/10\/outgoing-links-are-they-beneficial-for-your-site-or-not\/#Link_out_to_specific_authority_sites_not_Wikipedia\" >Link out to specific authority sites (not Wikipedia)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/10\/outgoing-links-are-they-beneficial-for-your-site-or-not\/#Link_out_for_users_first_for_SEO_benefits_second\" >Link out for users first, for SEO benefits second<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/10\/outgoing-links-are-they-beneficial-for-your-site-or-not\/#Mention_experts_by_name_and_%E2%80%98ping_them\" >Mention experts by name and \u2018ping\u2019 them<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Incoming_vs_outgoing_links_Do_they_both_matter\"><\/span>Incoming vs. outgoing links: Do they both matter?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>So what\u2019s the difference between outgoing (outbound) and. incoming (inbound) links?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This <a href=\"https:\/\/morningscore.io\/inbound-outbound-links\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">infographic<\/a> by Morningscore explains it pretty well.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<\/div>\n<p>Most people in the SEO industry and beyond agree that links to your site alias incoming links, also called inbound links or backlinks, matter.<\/p>\n<p>Inbound links are still an important ranking factor on Google.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While the search engine continuously adds other signals to refine results, the original Google algorithm is based on counting and assessing the value of incoming links.<\/p>\n<p>More complex additions like the <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/faq-all-about-the-new-google-rankbrain-algorithm-234440\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RankBrain<\/a> algorithm or the <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/google-eat-possible-evaluation-signals-382799\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">concept of expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness (E-A-T)<\/a> ensure that only usable, <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/e-a-t-audit-386611\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">credible<\/a> and content-rich sites get ranked on top.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Yet the ranking itself still heavily relies on good old editorial links \u2013 those leading \u201cback\u201d to your site.<\/p>\n<p>But what about outgoing links (i.e., links from your site to others)?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That has been an evergreen debate among SEO practitioners and marketers alike.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s recap what we know about (outgoing) links first.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Mueller repeatedly said that they are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.seroundtable.com\/google-says-outbound-links-are-not-a-ranking-factor-21545.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">not a direct ranking signal<\/a>. Yet he and many SEOs still advocate linking out.<\/p>\n<p>One approach could be called the egoistic one. It assumes that you have to hoard the authority you get from other sites by way of links. Thus, linking out as rarely as possible in order not to lose that authority, link value or \u201cequity\u201d.The other approach (I abide by) is the rather altruistic one. It assumes that the web is built on links (hence hypertext as in hyperlinks) and the more you are interconnected with other sites \u2013 both ways \u2013 the better.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_are_SEO_experts_scared_to_link_out\"><\/span>Why are SEO experts scared to link out?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Not only beginner-level SEOs are often literally scared to link out. Some experienced SEO experts are also not keen on risking their site authority on outgoing links. Why is that?<\/p>\n<p>There are <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/essentials\/spam-policies?hl=en&amp;ref_topic=6001971&amp;visit_id=638022161654756409-1037184601&amp;rd=1#link-spam\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">actually instances<\/a> when <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/google-penalizes-sites-unnatural-outbound-linking-247001\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google penalizes sites for linking out<\/a> or simply algorithmically reduces their ranking.<\/p>\n<p>Here are a few examples.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Bad_neighborhoods\"><\/span>Bad neighborhoods<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Bad neighborhoods are often websites that are dealing either with adult subjects or gray areas like prescription-free drugs and gambling. They are also referred to as 3P (porn, pills and poker).\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Other obvious examples are so-called \u201cwarez\u201d or copyright infringement sites in general.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That said, even legit but low-quality sites you link to may have some detrimental impact.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Link_schemes_ie_reciprocal_links_link_farms\"><\/span>Link schemes (i.e., reciprocal links, link farms)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>\u201cLink schemes\u201d is a Google term describing all kinds of \u201cunnatural\u201d links meant to increase the chances of ranking on Google organically.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Reciprocal links (I link to you so that you link to me) or link farms (interlinked sites just created, acquired or paid for the links) are common examples.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Such links may get demoted by Google or lead to an \u201cunnatural links\u201d penalty.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Text_link_ads\"><\/span>Text link ads<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Text link ads or in Google\u2019s words \u201cpaid links\u201d are links to other sites you have been paid for one way or another.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>These payments can be sponsorships, donations or free products as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>When in doubt, Google may penalize you for outbound links you have received some kind of remuneration for.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Google wants you to <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/crawling-indexing\/qualify-outbound-links?visit_id=638022161654166151-1291991928&amp;rd=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">add the \u201csponsored\u201d attribute to such links<\/a>. The same procedure also applies to paid reviews you have been asked to place on your site.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"User-generated_content_UGC\"><\/span>User-generated content (UGC)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>UGC are comments, forum entries or any type of submitted content without editorial oversight linking out to third-party sites \u2013 which are also risky.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Google advises you to use the \u201cUGC\u201d link attribute on such links. Check all contributions prior to publication ideally.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Guest_posts_widgets_infographics_etc\"><\/span>Guest posts, widgets, infographics, etc.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Over the years, Google has added a lot of common SEO techniques to the list of unnatural link practices. Some widely used link building techniques like guest posts, widgets and infographics were among them.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Thus, when you have some of those on your site, you are required to use the \u201cnofollow\u201d link attribute on outbound links associated with them.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Broken_links\"><\/span>Broken links<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Broken, or dead links that have been linked out to reputable resources, may overnight become hazardous to your site\u2019s health.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not just the SEO issues. You also risk your reputation when visitors end up on defunct sites, error pages or parked domains.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Monitor and fix broken or redirected links regularly. The latter ones can be even more harmful as deceptive sites won\u2019t always send an error code but instead a \u201c200\u201d OK to fool you to link to them.<\/p>\n<p>No wonder many <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/fix-outbound-link-problem-single-workday-278122\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SEO experts got more and more reserved<\/a> when it comes to linking out. Some of them only link to Wikipedia or the like \u201cfor the potential SEO benefit of linking out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Others play it safe by adding \u201cnofollow\u201d to all outbound links even though Mueller also stated that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CslpJABCE2w&amp;t=3301s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">there is no benefit in that<\/a> either.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<div class=\"nl-inline-form border py-2 px-1 my-2\">\n<div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-3 col-xl-4 pe-md-0 pb-2 pb-lg-0\">\n<p class=\"inline-form-text text-center mb-0\">Get the daily newsletter search marketers rely on.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-7 col-xl-6  pe-lg-0\">\n<div class=\"form-nl-inline\">\n<div class=\"row g-0\">\n<div class=\"form-group col-12 col-lg-8 mb-0\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-4 col-xl-4 mb-0\">\n<div class=\"d-none\">\n<p>Processing\u2026Please wait.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"btn btn-dark inlineButton w-100 rounded-0 font-weight-bold\">SUBSCRIBE<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-2 col-xl-2 ps-1\">\n<p class=\"text-center mb-0\"><a class=\"nl-terms\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/termsofuse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">See terms.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_does_Google_say_about_the_benefits_of_outgoing_links\"><\/span>What does Google say about the benefits of outgoing links?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Despite all the possible pitfalls (I didn&#8217;t even list all of them), there are also benefits to linking out \u2013 both for Google and also for the website owners who do it.<\/p>\n<p>In 2019, Mueller <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/back-to-basics-do-outbound-links-matter-for-seo-319936\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">published<\/a> an actual <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=58zaiOx7TM4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">video on linking out<\/a> and why it matters. At 1:19, he specifically encouraged linking to other sites that &#8220;offer additional value and more context.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Given Google&#8217;s increased focus on E-A-T criteria in the ranking algorithm, linking out to established sources and experts has additional benefits.<\/p>\n<p>What does that mean specifically?<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Proof_of_authority\"><\/span>Proof of authority<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>How do you prove authority? You literally add the author&#8217;s name and short bio, then link out to their website and social media accounts.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Anonymous posts by &#8220;admin&#8221; as the default author on WordPress are usually called or outsourced content that has no name attached to it.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Such content is, of course, far less convincing to potential readers and also Google algorithms.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Citing_sources\"><\/span>Citing sources<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Even accomplished experts usually rely on the work of others.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>By citing and ideally quoting sources from scholars in academia, journalists and bloggers ensure their expertise is backed up by others.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Linking out to sources, especially highly credible ones like universities, government agencies or leading publications (think The New York Times, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal), establishes credibility even if you&#8217;re not a world-renowned expert yourself yet.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"More_resources\"><\/span>More resources<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>No matter how extensively you cover a topic, there is always something to &#8220;read more&#8221; you haven&#8217;t mentioned. This goes beyond just crediting sources.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Assuming that you have satisfied the reader and they are still interested, you are welcome to add more resources on the subject matter to broaden the scope of your content.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Linking out to content that elaborates on some aspects you haven&#8217;t covered in-depth yet is a good idea to enhance a trustworthy article.<\/p>\n<p>The web in general also benefits from sites actively linking out as sites devoid of outgoing links tend to become dead ends in the worst case.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Proving_the_direct_SEO_impact_of_outgoing_links\"><\/span>Proving the direct SEO impact of outgoing links<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Luckily, we don&#8217;t just have to rely on Google&#8217;s words.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Some SEOs have actively looked for an answer by simply testing whether there is a positive impact of outgoing links.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>And there is!<\/p>\n<p>Opinions are always to be considered with a grain of salt in the SEO world. Actual tests are often more reliable.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The people of Reboot Online, &#8220;a data-driven SEO company,&#8221; have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rebootonline.com\/blog\/long-term-outgoing-link-experiment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tested the potential effect of outbound links<\/a> or lack thereof \u2013 not just once, but twice (first in 2016 and again in 2020).<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<\/div>\n<p>As we can see above, the test sites which included outgoing links outranked the &#8220;stingy&#8221; sites that did not contain outgoing links.<\/p>\n<p>Even test results may be biased of course, as the testers expected a positive impact. Reboot Founder Shai Aharony explains his motivation as follows:<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I\u2019m repeatedly astonished at the numerous times we come across the absurd and old fashioned belief that Pagerank should be religiously kept within the site and that any outgoing links are \u2018diluting\u2019 your site\u2019s authority\u2026&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>While it&#8217;s hard to ensure that a test only checks a particular ranking factor or hypothesis, SEO experiments can often provide useful hints for your ongoing optimization efforts.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In this case, the test has been repeated so that we can be pretty sure that the results are valid.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Ideally, you also conduct your own tests of course but it&#8217;s not an easy feat given the complexity of the current Google ranking algorithm.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_do_outgoing_links_make_sense_beyond_SEO_considerations\"><\/span>Why do outgoing links make sense beyond SEO considerations?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Beyond the more or less obvious benefits that even Google spokespeople mention, there are many &#8220;social SEO&#8221; aspects of outgoing links that can ultimately improve your rankings or at least help you to gain traction in other ways.<\/p>\n<p>Even if you still frown upon linking out to other websites for fear of risking your organic reach, here are some direct benefits of outbound links to be aware of before giving them up completely.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Getting_noticed\"><\/span>Getting noticed<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>First of all, when you link to someone \u2013 and usually there is a person who runs a website and who may notice \u2013 you are &#8220;getting out there.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Especially when you&#8217;re new in a given niche, industry or market you want to &#8220;say hello&#8221; by acknowledging those who came before you.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>When I started a new blog in the past, I would usually make a list of &#8220;the best blogs&#8221; covering the specific topic the blog was meant to be about.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As a welcome side effect, those lists not only would draw in other, already-established bloggers to my fairly new publication. They would usually also rank on top of Google for phrases like [(topic) blog].<\/p>\n<p>Looking back at blogging about SEO for 15+ years I have to admit that many of my most valuable connections and often clients have been a direct result of my linking out to someone.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Of course, numerous links did not get noticed, have been ignored or were acknowledged without any significant reciprocation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Yet those that did actually start a conversation and a process of relationship building have helped me a lot over the years.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This is especially important for &#8220;introverts&#8221; who usually don&#8217;t go to conferences, meetups or trade fairs.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Give_and_take\"><\/span>Give and take<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Once you link out you give the present of attention, appreciation and often support. Even if you disagree with what you link, the vote has been counted by Google.<\/p>\n<p>We have been primed for mutual aid for literally millions of years so when you receive a gift from someone, you are usually likely to reciprocate sooner or later. At least you are much more open-minded to suggestions down the road.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Many people in the SEO industry reach out to a list of &#8220;100 prospects&#8221; and get a response rate of like 2%. Their main mistake is that they are contacting strangers out of the blue and asking for favors right away.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Even if you don&#8217;t enjoy socializing with like-minded individuals working in the same industry, you are thus motivated to be friendly and literally make friends or &#8220;build relationships.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"User_experience\"><\/span>User experience<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>No single person or even entity is all-knowing. Even Google can&#8217;t answer all queries in a satisfactory way. Thus while creating content, we will always rely on other people&#8217;s expertise.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Even if you just rephrase it without directly quoting, you will probably not cover everything in as much depth as possible\u00a0\u2013 so here comes the link.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>You can simply link to other content without having to reinvent the wheel and can stand on the shoulders of giants. This is a much better user experience than letting the visitor hang and not being able to cover the topic extensively enough for every reader.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Let people read more elsewhere or check out the details you only mention without a lot of background.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Don&#8217;t be afraid that they will leave the site. They will be more likely to return given the positive user experience.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_link_out_to_make_it_count\"><\/span>How to link out to make it count<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Now that you are considering linking out for SEO or other benefits, you probably ask yourself how to link out to have a positive impact on your site. Follow these tips.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_not_add_a_%E2%80%98nofollow_when_you_dont_have_to\"><\/span>Do not add a \u2018nofollow\u2019 when you don&#8217;t have to<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Some publishers and blogs add nofollow tags to all outgoing links in order to minimize any potential risks of linking out.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Yet, that&#8217;s like saying that all of your content is untrustworthy and lacks editorial control. Not only is there no gain from it, but there is also an additional risk of appearing low quality.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Make sure to treat each link individually. Add nofollow tags only when needed.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Editorial links should be treated accordingly \u2013 as proper links with no potentially discrediting attributes.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Check_and_update_outgoing_links_regularly\"><\/span>Check and update outgoing links regularly<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Once you link out you vouch to some extent for the resource you link to. After all, you ensure the validity of the content you effectively recommend.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Even if you disagree with the information you link to, you at least assign enough importance to it to send your visitors that way. Thus, it&#8217;s also advisable to check such links on existing content regularly.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>On WordPress, that task can be automated. Whenever a resource disappears, you have to unlink it or better replace it.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>No tool can warn you when third-party resources become outdated. Thus, it&#8217;s a good idea to check manually and regularly so that you don&#8217;t link to something that has been debunked or updated by now.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Link_out_to_specific_authority_sites_not_Wikipedia\"><\/span>Link out to specific authority sites (not Wikipedia)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Another common shortcut is just linking out to Wikipedia instead of taking the time and looking up actual sources. That&#8217;s almost like saying, &#8220;just Google it!&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Most people have searched for a topic to find you and they have probably seen the Wikipedia entry above your result as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>They want to learn more, not just find out the basics like the definition of the keyword.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Link_out_for_users_first_for_SEO_benefits_second\"><\/span>Link out for users first, for SEO benefits second<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Make sure that the resource you link to offers some &#8220;additional value&#8221; for the reader. Do not just link out for SEO benefit.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>When someone notices you and ideally shares your content or, in the best case, links back it&#8217;s a nice-to-have.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In the search industry, sometimes, it&#8217;s better to link to Google directly (even though they don&#8217;t notice or link back) than to a blog that only rehashes the news.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In other cases, Google has only cryptic announcements you need some explanations on so a third-party blog is better.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mention_experts_by_name_and_%E2%80%98ping_them\"><\/span>Mention experts by name and \u2018ping\u2019 them<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>When you link out to actual experts from your niche, industry or country you may benefit from their audiences noticing your content as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In the past, WordPress pings ensured that every linked blogger would notice in their comment section.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As that pingback and trackback features have been abused over the years, most blogs have deactivated that feature.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>You have to notify people manually again, like in the good old days before blogs. Mention experts you included by name and tell them that you linked to their content (on social media or by mail).<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/outgoing-links-seo-benefits-389411\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Outgoing links: Are they beneficial for your site or not?<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Search Engine Land<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Google dismisses the idea that outgoing links are considered a direct ranking signal \u2013 but tests have proven otherwise. Who should SEOs believe? Why should we link out at all? When asked about the impact of outgoing links on \u201clink juice,\u201d Google\u2019s John Mueller flatly ignored the question stating again that any advice containing the term \u201clink juice\u201d should not be taken seriously. Thus, we have to research a little deeper and go back a few years to find out.\u00a0 Incoming vs. outgoing links: Do they [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6825","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-seo-blogs"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/author\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6825","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6825"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6825\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6825"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6825"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6825"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}