External links play a crucial role in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), influencing how websites perform and rank on search engine results pages (SERPs).
If you’re wondering what are external links in SEO, they are simply links from one website to another, and they can have a significant impact on your site’s authority and visibility.
In this blog, we’ll explain what external links are, discuss their benefits, and share best practices to help you use them effectively for improved SEO performance.
How External Links Work In SEO
An external link points from one domain to another in the form of a hyperlink. For example, you create an external link when your website links to another relevant site.
In SEO terms, external linking connects your content to a trusted, authoritative website, offering users valuable additional resources. These links contrast with internal links, which connect pages within the same domain.
In the realm of SEO, external links are more than just hyperlinks. They serve as powerful endorsements or votes of confidence from one website to another.
When a well-established site links to your content, it lets the search engines know that your page offers valuable information. This can lead to a boost in your page’s ranking, making it more visible to users searching for relevant topics.
4 Reasons Why External Links Are Important
So, why are external links good for SEO? External links help search engines measure the credibility and authority of your website.
These links are considered third-party endorsements of your content’s quality, signalling that other websites trust your information. Google and other search engines look at external links when deciding rankings, making external linking in SEO an essential factor in optimising your website for better visibility.
Yes, external links are good for SEO when used correctly. External links provide several benefits that can positively impact your website’s performance. Below are some of the reasons why external linking in SEO is beneficial:
1. Improve Your Website’s Authority
External links help improve your site’s authority. When you link to authoritative websites, you demonstrate that you are drawing information from trustworthy sources.
This association with high-quality, well-respected websites can positively impact your site’s domain authority. Domain authority is an important factor in how search engines rank your site.
2. Boost Search Engine Rankings
Using external links in SEO makes your content more valuable to search engines. Search engines may rank your pages higher when you see that your site includes links to reliable, informative content. Moreover, when authoritative websites link back to your site, it enhances your site’s reputation, leading to better rankings.
3. Encourage Trust And Credibility
External linking in SEO is a great way to build a relationship with your audience. By offering readers with credible external resources, you demonstrate your commitment to quality content and your willingness to provide additional value by referencing authoritative sources.
This not only establishes trust with your audience but also enhances the overall user experience on your site, making your readers feel more secure and reassured.
4. Drive Referral Traffic
External links also help drive referral traffic to your site. When another website links to your content, its readers may click on the link, directing them to your page. This can increase traffic, engagement, and potentially more conversions.
6 Best Practices For External Linking In SEO
While external links are good for SEO, you must use them strategically. Misuse of external links can result in penalties from search engines and damage your website’s reputation. To maximise the benefits of external linking in SEO, follow these best practices:
1. Link To Authoritative Sites
When creating external links, ensure you link to websites with a strong reputation and high domain authority. Linking to well-established, trustworthy sources improves the quality and credibility of your content.
Avoid linking to sites with low-quality content or a poor reputation, as this can negatively impact your SEO performance.
2. Use Relevant And Related Links
It’s crucial to ensure that the external links you use are relevant to the topic at hand. For example, if you’re writing about SEO strategies, linking to reputable SEO blogs, guides, or tools would be more appropriate than linking to unrelated content.
Search engines can penalise websites that include irrelevant or spammy links, so make sure each external link adds value to your content.
3. Use Descriptive Anchor Text
The anchor text, or the clickable text of a hyperlink, should be descriptive and related to the content you are linking to. Avoid generic phrases like “click here.”
Instead, use keywords or phrases that describe the content being linked, which can help improve the SEO value of the external link. For example, if you’re linking to an article about SEO tools, a suitable anchor text would be “best SEO tools” rather than “learn more.”
4. Don’t Overuse External Links
While external links are good for SEO, using only a few of them can overwhelm the reader and dilute the effectiveness of your content. Focus on quality rather than quantity.
One or two well-placed, high-quality external links will be more beneficial than a page cluttered with irrelevant links. Ensure that the external links are naturally integrated into your content without interrupting the flow.
5. Regularly Audit Your External Links
Over time, websites may change, move, or be taken down. Broken external links, or dead links, can harm your website’s SEO performance and lead to a poor user experience.
Regularly auditing your external links to ensure they are still functional and relevant is crucial to maintaining your website’s quality. Tools like Google Search Console or external link checkers can help you identify and fix any broken links.
6. Use ‘NoFollow’ Tags When Necessary
There are times when it’s necessary to use a ‘nofollow’ tag when linking to external sites. This tag tells search engines not to pass on authority or ranking value to the external link. For instance, if you’re linking to paid or sponsored content, it’s best to use the ‘nofollow’ tag to avoid penalties from search engines.
Using this tag ensures that you maintain control over the external links on your website, making you feel more responsible and in control of your SEO strategy.
The Impact Of External Links On SEO Strategy
Incorporating external linking in SEO is a long-term strategy that can yield significant results. You improve your content’s credibility and visibility by linking to authoritative, relevant, and trustworthy sites.
Moreover, obtaining external links from high-quality sources can boost your website’s ranking, helping it stand out on SERPs. To truly benefit from external linking in SEO, it’s crucial to maintain a balance between external and internal links, ensuring that your site remains informative, trustworthy, and easy to navigate.
Conclusion About External Links In SEO
External links in SEO are a powerful tool for improving website authority, boosting search engine rankings, and driving referral traffic.
When used correctly, external SEO linking enhances your content’s credibility, helping you provide a better experience for your users. Are external links good for SEO? Absolutely—but only when used strategically, emphasising quality, relevance, and best practices.
Following the guidelines and best practices outlined above, you can use external links to optimise your website’s SEO performance and achieve better search engine rankings over time.
Ready to take your SEO strategy to the next level? Let BestSEO help you implement external linking strategies that drive results. Contact us today for expert SEO services!
Frequently Asked Questions About External Links In SEO
How Do External Links Differ From Internal Links In SEO?
External links connect your website to other domains, while internal links connect pages within the same website. Both are important for SEO, but external links are often viewed as endorsements from other sites, which can improve your site’s authority.
Do External Links Need To Be Dofollow Or Nofollow For SEO Purposes?
Dofollow links allow search engines to pass on ranking value (also known as link juice) to the external site, while nofollow links tell search engines not to transfer ranking authority. Both can be useful, but do follow links generally contribute more to SEO.
Can External Links Negatively Impact My SEO?
Yes, linking to low-quality, spammy, or irrelevant websites can harm your site’s SEO. Google may penalise websites that frequently use poor external links, so you must be selective about which sites you link to.
How Many External Links Should I Include On A Webpage?
There’s no exact number, but it’s best to focus on quality over quantity. Too many external links may dilute your content’s value. Generally, 1-3 relevant, high-quality external links per article are enough to add credibility without overwhelming the reader.
Do External Links From Social Media Help With SEO?
External links from social media platforms, like Facebook or Twitter, are usually nofollow links, meaning they don’t directly impact SEO rankings. However, they can drive traffic to your site, which can indirectly benefit your SEO by improving engagement metrics.
Can Purchasing External Links Improve My SEO?
Buying external links violates Google’s guidelines and can result in penalties. Search engines favour organic, naturally earned external links. It’s better to focus on creating quality content that naturally attracts external links.
