by The Computing Australia Group | Essential Facts About
Outbound Links
Outbound links are one of the most misunderstood – and underused – levers in SEO. “Why should I send people away from my site?” is the common pushback. Here’s the reality: when you link out purposefully to high – quality, relevant sources, you improve credibility, user experience, and long-term organic performance. This guide shows you exactly how to do it – safely, strategically, and measurably.
TL;DR (for the skimmers)
- Outbound links don’t directly “boost rankings,” but they support E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, trust), reduce bounce-inducing confusion, and can strengthen topical authority.
- Link only when it helps the reader complete a task, verify a claim, or go deeper on a subtopic you don’t cover.
- Use the right rel attributes (nofollow, sponsored, ugc) to stay compliant and avoid passing equity where you shouldn’t.
- Build an Outbound Linking Policy and enforce it with editorial checks, crawler audits, and broken-link monitoring.
- For YMYL topics (finance, health, legal), cite primary, reputable sources and keep them fresh.
What is an outbound link?
Simple: an outbound link is a hyperlink on your page that points to a page on another website (an external destination). If their page links back to you, that’s an inbound link (backlink). Internal links, by contrast, move users around within your own site.
Do outbound links matter for SEO?
Not as a standalone ranking factor – but they matter for outcomes that do affect rankings:
- User trust & satisfaction: Readers trust content that cites sources - especially for YMYL queries. Trust reduces pogo - sticking and improves engagement signals.
- Topical authority: Strategic citations to seminal resources signal depth. Over time, this helps engines understand your knowledge graph relationships.
- Content quality: Well-sourced pages fare better in quality evaluations and manual reviews.
- Relationship building: Linking out can start conversations, earn attention, and indirectly attract backlinks.
Myth to bust: “Outbound links leak PageRank.” In practice, well-placed citations improve the usefulness of your page. The small, theoretical equity flow is outweighed by better engagement and authority signals – provided links are relevant and value-adding.
When should you use outbound links?
Use them when a reader reasonably expects a citation or deeper context:
1. To reference a fact, statistic, or quote
Example: citing the original study instead of a secondary blog.
2. To back up a claim or define a term
Example: linking to a standards body, documentation, or a medical/financial regulator.
3. To offer further reading or how-to details you don’t cover
Example: an in-depth tutorial, dataset, or glossary.
4. To credit original creators
Example: images, frameworks, code snippets, research.
5. To be transparent about affiliations
Example: marking sponsored resources properly.
Avoid linking out just to hit a quota. Each link needs a clear reader benefit.
What makes a good outbound link?
- Relevance: Closely supports the paragraph’s point.
- Authority: Reputable, original, preferably primary sources.
- Freshness: Within 2–3 years for non-evergreen; older is fine for canonical/evergreen references.
- Accessibility: Publicly accessible (avoid paywalls when possible).
- Stability: Low risk of URL changes; official or widely referenced pages.
- Clarity: Descriptive anchor text that sets user expectations.
Fast Source Vetting Checklist
- Is the site recognized in its field (gov, edu, standards body, original publisher)?
- Is the author identifiable (credentials, org, about page)?
- Is the content up-to-date for time-sensitive facts?
- Is it primary (original research, official documentation) vs a thin rewrite?
- Does it agree with other reputable sources (or responsibly present a minority view)?
Technical implementation that matters
1. rel attributes (use the right one)
- rel="nofollow" for unvetted or unendorsed links (e.g., general directories, uncertain quality).
- rel="sponsored" for paid placements, affiliate links, advertorials, or compensation of any kind.
- rel="ugc" for user-generated content (forums, comments) when you don’t fully control/vet.
- Combinations are fine: e.g., rel="nofollow sponsored" for paid links you don’t vouch for.
2. Open in new tab?
- If you use target="_blank", also add rel="noopener" (and often noreferrer) for security/performance:
<a href=”https://example.org/definitive-guide” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>definitive guide</a>
- Accessibility note: Don’t surprise users. If links open in new tabs, signal it (“opens in new tab”).
3. Anchor text best practices
- Be descriptive and honest: “2025 SMB tax threshold report (ATO)” > “click here.”
- Keep it natural; avoid over-optimizing with exact - match spam.
- Don’t stack multiple links on the same anchor - choose the one best source.
4. Mark up citations
- If you maintain a references section, ensure body-text links are still contextual.
- Consider adding footnote IDs for long research posts to help scanning.
5. Performance & UX
- External links are cheap, but don’t drown the copy in blue text. Prioritize scannability.
- Ensure contrast and underline styling for accessibility. Color alone is not enough.
Editorial standards: build an Outbound Linking Policy
Codify rules so content stays consistent across authors.
Your policy should define:
- When to link: facts, definitions, claims, further reading, credit, compliance.
- Where to link: primary sources > reputable secondaries; avoid thin affiliates.
- How many links: quality over quantity - typically 0–3 high-value links per 500–700 words.
- How to vet: author creds, domain type, recency, cross-validation, spam checks.
- What rel to use: default follow for vetted editorial citations; sponsored for paid; nofollow/ugc as outlined.
- Accessibility & UX rules: descriptive anchors, new-tab conventions, tooltips if used.
- Maintenance: broken-link scans monthly; recency review on YMYL content quarterly.
Add this policy to your content playbook and enforce it in your CMS editorial checklist.
YMYL pages: raise the bar
If your content affects money or life decisions (finance, health, legal, safety):
- Prefer regulators, standards bodies, and original research (e.g., ATO, ASIC, ABS, WHO, peer-reviewed journals).
- Disclose affiliations; mark commercial relationships clearly.
- Timestamp pages and review on a schedule (e.g., every 90 days).
- Use clear citations near claims, not just at the bottom.
- Provide author credentials and an editorial review note where applicable.
How many outbound links per page?
There’s no universal number. Think ratio and intent:
- For a 1,500–2,000 word guide, 3–8 curated, editorially vetted citations is typical.
- For research posts, more is fine - if each link adds unique value.
- Thin pages with a wall of links look spammy; choose best-in-class references.
Measuring impact (yes, you can)
While you won’t see a direct “outbound links” metric, you can track signals:
- Engagement: time on page, scroll depth, return visits.
- Navigation: outbound click-through rate (distinct from bounce rate), next-page paths.
- Processes did cited parties notice and link back?
- Quality: manual quality ratings (editorial review), fewer support tickets/queries on that topic.
- Rank volatility: improved stability or gains after adding citations to contested topics.
Instrument outbound link clicks as events in GA4 (e.g., event: outbound_click, parameters: link_url, anchor_text, section).
Maintenance & governance
- Broken link monitoring: schedule monthly crawls (Screaming Frog, Sitebulb). Replace or remove 4xx/5xx, redirect to the closest equivalent if the source moved.
- Content drift: re-vet older citations yearly (quarterly for YMYL) to ensure accuracy.
- Link hygiene: avoid linking to intrusive ads, malware warnings, or thin affiliate pages.
- Canonical awareness: link to the canonical or root resource, not tracking-splattered URLs.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Linking to low-quality listicles when a primary source exists.
- Affiliate-masking without rel="sponsored".
- Using vague anchors like “here,” “this,” or “read more.”
- Over-linking every sentence - dilutes attention and looks spammy.
- Paywalling readers unless unavoidable; if you must, signal it (“(paywalled study)”).
- Letting UGC leak dofollow links in comments/forums - default to ugc nofollow.
Implementation SOP (copy/paste into your playbook)
1. Draft: Write the section. Identify claims, defs, stats needing support.
2. Source: Find 1–2 primary sources per claim; shortlist alternates.
3. Vetting: Check author/org credibility, recency, cross-source agreement.
4. Anchor: Write descriptive anchor matching user intent.
5. Rel/Target: Add sponsored/nofollow/ugc as needed; target=”_blank” rel=”noopener” if opening new tab.
6. QA: Preview, keyboard-tab through links, test with a screen reader if possible.
7. Tagging: GA4 outbound click event with link_url, anchor_text, content_group.
8. Publish & Review: Post-publish crawl for broken links; schedule review (90d YMYL, 180–365d otherwise).
Jargon Buster
- SEO: Techniques to improve visibility in search results.
- YMYL: “Your Money or Your Life” - topics that can affect a person’s health, finances, safety, or wellbeing.
- E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness - quality assessment concepts.
- Outbound link: A link from your page to another website.
- Inbound link (backlink): A link from another website to your page.
- Internal link: A link between pages on the same site.
- Primary source: The original, authoritative publication (e.g., standard, regulation, dataset, study).
Vaikhari A
FAQ
Will outbound links hurt my rankings by “leaking” authority?
No – when they’re relevant and helpful. The net effect is typically positive through better UX and perceived credibility.
Should I always use nofollow on outbound links?
No. Use follow for editorial citations you vouch for. Use nofollow/sponsored/ugc based on the relationship and control.
Is it okay to link to competitors?
If they host the definitive resource your readers need, yes. User trust > short-term retention. You can also produce your own definitive version over time.
How do I handle outdated sources?
Replace with a newer edition or official archive. If only an outdated source exists but it’s canonical, keep it and note the date in your copy.
Should outbound links open in a new tab?
It’s optional. If you do, add rel=”noopener” and tell users it opens in a new tab for accessibility.
