An outbound link, also known as an external link, is a hyperlink on your website that directs users to a different website or domain.
These links help users find additional information and resources related to the content on your website.
They also play a role in SEO, as search engines use outbound links to understand the relevance and authority of your website.
There are two types of outbound links:
- Dofollow links – These are standard links that search engines crawl and use to determine the linked site’s authority. By default, all links are dofollow unless specified otherwise.
- Nofollow links – These links have a “nofollow” attribute, which tells search engines not to follow or pass authority to the linked site. Nofollow links are often used for paid links, user-generated content, or when linking to potentially low-quality or untrusted websites.
Using outbound links strategically can improve your website’s SEO and user experience. Here are some best practices for outbound linking:
- Link to relevant and authoritative websites to enhance your content’s value.
- Use descriptive anchor text that accurately reflects the linked content.
- Monitor your outbound links to ensure they remain active and up-to-date.
- Avoid excessive linking, as this may be seen as spammy by search engines.
For more information on outbound linking and its impact on SEO, consider these resources: