8 Simple Ways to Improve Your Outbound Links Score for SEO

Outbound links may not seem like a big part of SEO, but they can make a real difference in how search engines view and rank your site.

When done right, linking to other trustworthy, relevant websites adds value to your content and helps build your credibility.

But there’s more to outbound linking than tossing in random links. The key is to create a web of useful, reliable information for your readers and search engines.

In this post, we’ll explain simple, effective ways to improve your outbound link score.

What Are Outbound Links in SEO?

Outbound links are hyperlinks on your website that lead to external sites. Essentially, when you include a link in your content that takes readers to another website, that’s an outbound link.

There are two types of outbound links: “dofollow” and “nofollow”:

“Dofollow”: Dofollow links are the default type of outbound link that passes link equity or authority from your site to the linked page.

So, when you include a dofollow link in your content, you’re vouching for the credibility of the site you’re linking to.

“Nofollow”: Nofollow links don’t pass link equity to the linked site. They’re designated with a specific HTML tag that instructs search engines not to consider them a vote of confidence for the target page.

You might use nofollow links to untrusted sources, paid content, or user-generated content (UGC), such as comments or forum posts. This protects your site’s authority by ensuring you’re not endorsing low-quality or irrelevant content.

While outbound links aren’t a direct ranking factor, they can bring value to your content. You may use them to cite sources, improve the user experience (UX), or endorse high-quality content.

These links help the user in some way, whether by pointing them to valuable content where they can explore the topic further or showing them how your content is relevant to their questions.

We think it’s safe to say that Google will always prioritize content that engages users and makes it easy for them to find the information they’re looking for. 

Outbound links help with this. So, by extension, outbound links can help your content rank better in the search engine results pages (SERPs). 

What Is an Outbound Links Score?

Your outbound links score is a measure that search engines use to evaluate the quality and relevance of the external links you include on your website.

This score reflects how well you’re linking to credible, trustworthy sources. It’s a sign of the “value” your page offers.

How Search Engines Evaluate Outbound Links

You may have heard the phrase, “Write for humans, not search engines.” This advice is some of the best you can follow in SEO.

However, there’s a “but”. 

Even though you’re primarily writing for people, you want search engines to understand your content so that they crawl it, index it, and, hopefully, rank it. 

Like other SEO strategies, link building with outbound links helps search engines understand the context and relevance of your content. How? By showing that you’re part of a larger, interconnected web.

The search engine bots essentially see these outbound links as your way of saying, “Hey, this content over here is trustworthy and useful!”

So, when you link to high-authority, relevant sites, it signals to search engines that:

• You’ve done your research and might be a trustworthy source of information.
• You fact-check your information.
• You’re giving your readers the opportunity to verify your claims if they choose, because you value their trust.

Does any of this guarantee you’ll be on the first page of Google (or any other search engine)? No. Nothing does. But it can help your chances, especially if it’s part of a broader SEO strategy that includes on-page SEO, off-page SEO, and technical SEO.

In other words, outbound links are an essential piece of the SEO puzzle.

Check out the graph below. It shows a positive relationship between the number of outbound links and search engine rankings.

As the number of outbound links increases, so do rankings in the SERPs.

This relationship may very well be a case of correlation doesn’t equal causation. For example, sites that use a good number of outbound links might just be great at SEO in general. There’s really no way to know for sure.

But we can say that including high-quality outbound links throughout your content positively impacts your website and brand as a whole.

Common Myths About Outbound Links

Let’s debunk some common misconceptions about outbound links:

Myth 1: Outbound Links Hurt Your SEO

Many believe linking away from their site will send users to other content. This can, in turn, decrease engagement and traffic. 

However, linking to high-quality, relevant sources enhances your site’s authority.

Search engines view these links as endorsements, which can improve your credibility.

Myth 2: More Outbound Links = Better SEO

Another common myth is that the more outbound links you have, the better your SEO will be. Yes, linking to reputable sites can indeed boost SEO.

But as the cliche goes, it’s “quality over quantity.”

Bombarding your content with a ton of outbound links can overwhelm your readers and dilute the value of each link.

Myth 3: Outbound Links Should Always Be “Nofollow”

There’s a common belief that all outbound links should be “nofollow” to protect your site’s authority.

“Nofollow” links are good to use in certain situations, like linking to untrusted sites or advertisements. 

But if you want to pass authority to high-quality, relevant sites, it’s best to make them “dofollow” links.

The Impact of Poor Outbound Linking Strategies

Not all outbound links are created equal. And poor linking practices can harm your site’s SEO performance.

Here are some common outbound linking mistakes that can end up doing more harm than good:

• Linking to irrelevant content
• Too many outbound links
• Not auditing broken links
• Overusing “Follow” links
• Ignoring anchor texts

8 Proven Strategies to Boost Your Outbound Links Score

Now, with that out of the way, let’s explore some practical ways to improve your outbound link score. These tips will help you maintain a strong SEO score and enhance the overall UX.

1. Link to High Authority, Trusted Sources

Think of outbound links as an endorsement. If you’re going to send your readers to another site, make sure it’s a reputable one. High-authority websites, like major news outlets, industry leaders, or academic institutions, add credibility to your content.

Linking to trusted sources signals to search engines that your content is backed by solid, reliable information.

Over time, this can improve your own domain authority as well.

Here’s an easy way to determine whether to link to a site. Ask yourself, “Is this a site I’d want to get information from?”

For example, if you wanted to learn about proven leadership strategies, you would want evidence proving those strategies are effective, right?

So, you might value a source that links to a reputable article on leadership. If that source is linked to a lesser-known, unverified blog, you might view it as less credible.

For example, this article on “How to Unleash the Potential of New Managers with Leadership Development” links to Harvard Business Review, a well-known publication in the business and leadership space.

Don’t: Link to low-quality or questionable sources just to have an outbound link. For example, avoid linking to a blog without a proven track record. Never assume a site’s authority is based solely on its popularity. Some well-known platforms may not have the best reputation in your industry. Also

Do: Always vet the sources you link to. Look for sites with a solid reputation in your industry. Check domain authority (DA) with Linkody’s free Website Authority Checker. You can also check the site’s backlink profile using our Backlink Checker. A high number of quality backlinks can indicate a trusted, authoritative site that adds extra value to your link. 

2. Focus on Relevance Over Quantity

When it comes to outbound links, quality trumps quantity. 

Let’s say you have six outbound links in your content. However, only two of them link to authoritative sources. 

Now, let’s say you have a blog post with 3 outbound links, and all of them point readers to high-quality content that relates and adds value to yours.

It’s clear that a blog post with fewer links would be more valuable to your readers.

So, instead of overloading your page with lots of low-quality links, prioritize those that offer genuine value to your readers.

Each link should provide context or further insights directly related to your content.

But how do you know what links are relevant?

With AdTech tools, you can learn what your audience likes, what they need, and how they engage with your content. This insight helps you place outbound links that are more relevant and useful to them.

When you know your audience, you can link to websites they trust and are interested in. This improves your SEO by making your links more valuable and building trust with your readers. They’ll see your content as helpful and reliable because the links fit their interests.

By focusing on your audience’s needs, AdTech helps you place outbound links that feel natural and relevant. This strengthens your SEO and makes your content more engaging and trustworthy.

Don’t: Overstuff your content with outbound links that add little value to the topic. A single irrelevant link can disrupt user flow and signal to search engines that you’re prioritizing quantity over relevance.

Do: Create outbound links that directly enrich your content. Position them where your readers are most likely to need more context or detailed information. A well-placed link can keep readers engaged longer and improve overall UX.

3. Regularly Audit and Fix Broken Links

Over time, external pages can be subject to link decay or link rot, which leads to broken outbound links.

This frustrates users and damages your SEO. Search engines view broken links as a sign of neglect or outdated content. To stay on top of this, run regular link audits using tools like Google Search Console or SEO tools, such as LinkStorm. Fixing or replacing broken links with updated sources keeps your content relevant and fresh.

You can also analyze metrics such as click-through rates, user flow, and referral traffic to identify which outbound links drive the most engagement and contribute positively to your site’s SEO.

Web analytics allow you to make informed decisions about which external sites to prioritize for linking, ensuring they are relevant and beneficial to your audience. It can help track the performance of your outbound links over time, revealing trends and areas for improvement. 

By optimizing these links based on analytics insights, you can enhance your site’s authority and improve search engine rankings.

Dont: Leave broken links on your site unchecked. They can spread across multiple pages over time and negatively impact UX across your site. A link that leads to a 404 error page can turn users away and signal to search engines that your content is outdated.

Do: Audit your outbound links regularly. Replace or update broken links with relevant, working sources to maintain a polished and user-friendly site.

4. Use Clear and Descriptive Anchor Text

Anchor text—the clickable text of a hyperlink—plays a massive role in outbound linking. Search engines rely on it to understand the content of the page you’re linking to.

Avoid vague terms like “click here” or “learn more”. Instead, use descriptive text that clearly indicates what the reader will find, such as “view our detailed guide on improving SEO.”

Here’s an example of a good anchor text structure when linking to research or a report.

Don’t: Don’t use the same anchor text across all outbound links in your content. Repetitive anchor text can confuse search engines and reduce the SEO value of your links. Also, don’t use anchor text that’s overly long or convoluted. While you want to be descriptive, overlong complex anchor text can confuse readers and search engines.

Do: Optimize anchor text variation by using context-specific language. Tailoring the anchor text to each link will make your page more dynamic and improve SEO relevance. Keep your anchor text concise yet informative.

5. Diversify Your Link Sources

Avoid relying on just one type of source or always linking to the same websites.

Connect to a variety of relevant, reputable sources across different trusted domains. This shows search engines that you’re pulling from a broad range of credible content, not just a select few.

Don’t: Forget to review your outbound link sources periodically. Even high-authority sites can lose relevance or experience a drop in quality over time, so ensure your links remain valuable by checking them regularly.

Do: Keep an eye on emerging high-authority sources in your industry. Adding new, reputable sites to your outbound linking strategy can help you stay ahead of trends and provide your readers with the most up-to-date, insightful information.

6. Optimize Use of “DoFollow” and “NoFollow” Tags

All outbound links are either “follow” or “nofollow”. A “follow” link passes link equity (or authority) to the linked site, while a “nofollow” tag instructs search engines not to pass any authority.

Use “nofollow” tags for sponsored content, ads, or untrusted sites. Use “dofollow” links for credible, value-adding sources. If you don’t strike the right balance, you might either give away too much authority or neglect ethical linking practices.

Don’t: Ignore affiliate links when considering “nofollow” usage. 

Do: Review your site’s outbound links regularly to ensure you use “nofollow” and “dofollow” tags correctly.

7. Prioritize Linking to Fresh, Updated Content

Search engines love  fresh content, and so do your readers. When linking to external sites, make sure to direct your audience to regularly updated blogs. 

For example, if you’re writing about social media trends in 20254, linking to a 2021 article won’t be as valuable as linking to something more current.

Stale, outdated content can drag down your SEO and misinform your audience.

Don’t: Link to trending content just because it’s new. Make sure it’s relevant and still aligns with the needs of your readers, rather than jumping on a trend for short-term SEO gains.

Do: Add a “last updated” note to your content when linking to fresh resources. This helps your readers recognize that they’re getting current and accurate information. 

8. Balance Outbound Links With Internal Links

While outbound links enhance your content’s authority, don’t neglect internal linking. 

Internal links help improve your site’s structure and keep users engaged longer. For example, if you’re writing about SEO strategies, linking to a related post you’ve published on keyword research keeps readers on your site.

Overusing outbound links without maintaining internal ones can divert traffic away from your site.

This Linkody blog about omnichannel retail strategy has a nice mix of inbound and outbound links. Some links point to other Linkody blogs, and a few lead readers to reputable research, useful tools, and sites that explain a topic in more detail.

Don’t: Cluster all outbound links at the beginning or end of your content. Spread them throughout the post where they provide the most context and value for readers.

Do: Use outbound links to back up specific claims or stats, while internal links should guide readers to other valuable resources on your site. This balance keeps users engaged and moving through your content.

Conclusion

A strong outbound links score demonstrates to search engines that you’re serious about providing your audience with valuable, credible information. 

This helps your site gain authority and enriches the experience for your readers.

As you dive into outbound linking, be discerning. Each link should serve a purpose, whether to validate a claim, provide further context, or lead to a deeper understanding of a topic. 

And keep the right balance. You can still point to other links on your site to create a strong internal linking structure. But don’t hesitate to give others credit, especially if a claim isn’t yours or you want to redirect users for further reading.

Challenge yourself to seek out fresh sources and insights that add genuine value to your content and give visitors the vote of confidence that they can trust you to give them the information they need, no matter where it lives on the web.

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