Most people think that it is unwise to link to other websites because they are afraid that they will lose link value to the site they are linking to and that the internal links will therefore be worth less and thus they will come out lower in the search results for their important keywords. When I am asked to optimize a website for SEO, I often encounter this problem. Often no other websites are linked, which in the eyes of Google seems rather selfish. A regular website with good information will always consult various sources and give credits to the original source.

Where can I link to?

Of course it is not wise to link to all kinds of obscure places on the internet or to sources that have nothing to do with the subject of your site. However, it is good to link to high quality websites that are strongly related to the topic of the article. The article must in turn connect well with the topic of the website. It is always better to focus a website on 1 specific topic. That way, it becomes a lot easier to get high in Google for the important keywords in this niche. The fact is that external links can certainly contribute to better results in the search engine as Google will associate your website with these high quality sources and you will be seen as more credible when you consult and refer to high quality sources.

Give first, then receive

When you link from your website to other websites, this can ensure that you also get links back. When you see that you regularly link from your articles to other relevant websites, you will also be more inclined to link back to your website without any cost. Outbound links can therefore also contribute to obtaining high quality links! In addition, it ensures that your articles are substantiated by the source citation which ensures a better user experience and it will also lower the bounce rate which is an important on-page seo indicator for Google.

When you show your website visitors that they can find a lot of qualitative information on your website, they will also come back sooner, which therefore ensures a repeat visit. The more good information you provide, the longer your visitors linger and the more they allow you business. Of course you can strategically pitch your services if this matches the information you provide.

Some tips for a good outbound link strategy

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Conclusion:

There are many SEO experts who recommend using little or no external links. However, I believe that outbound links add to the user experience and are a good way to show Google which sites you want to be associated with. In addition, crediting the original source is simply a good way to improve your credibility and reward the author for good insights. When you link out, you also put yourself on the map with the person who receives the link because that website owner will also check his backlinks every so often and will also take a look at your website. Perhaps you also get something out of it in that way.