Do outgoing links help you rank?
Who knows?
Note: An “outlink” or “outgoing link” is a link that points to an external site.
Google doesn’t give a definitive answer (surprise). But they do say “create links that are useful.” I’m not shy about mocking the big G’s vague advice, but I support this statement.
The SEO world has generated a mindboggling mound of utter crap on this subject. Outgoing links may or may not help with rankings. If they do, it’s not because they contain the right keywords—stuffing your page with links containing the anchor text “foo” isn’t going to help you rank for “foo.” If Google can disambiguate queries, they’ve probably worked out anchor text spam.
So create links your readers want to use.
But you want specifics. So, here’s my list of link rules:
- Link if you’re not a soiled buttock (cite sources)
- Create links readers appreciate
- Create links people will click
I’ve also included good, bad, and OMG WTF were you thinking examples. These may or may not directly help SEO. They will make your readers happy and keep you out of trouble:
1: Link If You’re Not A Soiled Buttock
This one’s easy. If you quote someone else, summarize them, or otherwise use someone else’s content in a way that requires citation, you need to link to the source material:
Good: A citation link
As Stephen Hawking said in A Brief History Of Time, “The universe doesn’t allow perfection.”
Link to the resource “closest” to the author. In this case, I linked to the book entry on Hawking’s own website. It’s the most helpful to him and the most helpful to the reader.
Bad: Nofollow
As Stephen Hawking said in A Brief History Of Time, “The universe doesn’t allow perfection.”
Seriously? Using nofollow? That doesn’t improve rankings. It does announce the writer is a stingy left buttock.
Use nofollow for sponsored links or links that appear sponsored. That’s it.
WTF were you thinking?
In this example, “The universe doesn’t allow perfection” links to Stephen Hawking’s site. It’s nofollowed. And it’s not clear that this is a Stephen Hawking quote:
As I like to say, “The universe doesn’t allow perfection.”
This writer implies this is their quote. The link may make them feel better, but they know exactly what they’re doing. And they used nofollow. Stephen Hawking has the right to warp time and space, return to our universe, and kick their ass.
2: Create Links Readers Appreciate
Tim Berners-Lee created links to be helpful (no link necessary, I just made that up). Create useful links readers will appreciate.
Good: Linking to useful information
This links to a bit of jargon I need to understand:
Dungeons & Dragons is a role-playing game where a group of cool people gathers together to pretend they’re warriors, wizards, and other beings who never pull a muscle.
OK. I like it.
Bad: A Low-Value Link
In this paragraph:
Dungeons & Dragons is a role-playing game where a group of cool people gathers together to pretend they’re warriors, wizards, and other beings who never pull a muscle.
…the link to “game” points at a Wikipedia page defining the word “game.”
Pointless. I know the meaning of “game,” and I know this isn’t about venison or football. There’s also almost no chance anyone will click that link. There’s even less chance Google will consider it a positive ranking signal. They might see it as a negative one.
WTF were you thinking?
Dungeons & Dragons is a game where a group of cool people gathers together to pretend they’re warriors and wizards who battle misshapen aberrations and never pull a muscle.
That’s a lot of links.
I don’t think Google has a “maximum” number of links on a page. I think they look at link quality and quantity and reduce the value of each link as density goes up and quality goes down.
I know that Google uses PageRank, and every link from a page reduces that page’s authority. So, while I don’t want you to be stingy, I do think you should manage link density. Be smart. Don’t stuff the page with low-value links.
3: Create Links People Will Click
There’s a subtle distinction between this and the “Useful Information” rule. Here’s a great example:
Good: You know it’s a link
This is my text with an important keyword so I linked to another site from that keyword hoping it’ll help me rank.
Bad: A link I can barely see
This is my text with an important keyword, so I linked to another site from that keyword, hoping it’ll help me rank.
OK, the writer’s trying to be fancy. Google might see this and say, “Hey, a link!” Readers might see this and say “nope, no link there!”
But it’s a usability nightmare. Google “renders” content, examining the layout and look of the page. They likely they take color, contrast, and style into account when looking at links.
WTF were you thinking?
This is my text with an important keyword, so I linked to another site from that keyword, hoping it’ll help me rank.
The words “important keyword” are actually a link, but the reader can’t see it.
(Someone pointed out that the link above, which was supposed to have no underline, has an underline. Apparently, some browsers think they know better and underline links no matter what the developer does. Phooey. The point here is that the writer tried to disguise an outgoing link. Work with me.)
Nope.
Like I said: Google has rendered pages for years now. They know how a link looks, and if it’s invisible, they’re going to ignore it. Or they’re going to say “HAHAHAHAHA THEY’RE TRYING TO SPAM US THAT’S SO CUTE” and then shove your rankings down the nearest commode.
Using Nofollow
I mentioned it a few times above. Nofollow does not help SEO. It does not sculpt or retain PageRank. Forget it.
Nofollow prevents penalties by telling Google that a link is sponsored, purchased, or spammy (I guess). Don’t use nofollow to “keep” PageRank you lose via outlinks. It doesn’t help.
Make Outlinks Great Again
I gotta be honest: I don’t think outgoing links are a direct ranking factor. I believe they’re an important secondary factor.
So use links when they make sense. Follow the three rules.
I achieved new heights of snark and sarcasm in this post. If I offended the hell out of you, please comment. I take them seriously (that is not sarcasm).