What Is an External Link? Linking Out and Why It Helps

In plain English

Linking out is often avoided on the theory that it sends value away. That theory has never held up, and citing sources is a normal feature of credible writing.

What matters is who you link to. References to authoritative sources support your own claims; links to low-quality sites associate you with them.

What to know

Cite sources

Link to the origin of a claim, especially for data and guidance.

Choose carefully

Outbound links are an editorial judgement that reflects on you.

Use rel attributes

Mark sponsored and affiliate links as sponsored, and user-submitted links as ugc.

Open sensibly

External links usually open in a new window so the reader does not lose your page.

Why it matters

Linking out is part of what makes content credible to a reader and to a search engine. Pages that make claims without ever citing anything read as unsourced, which is a harder position to defend in any subject where accuracy matters.

Common mistakes

×Refusing to link out at all.

×Failing to mark affiliate or sponsored links appropriately.

×Linking to sources that will not exist in a year.

×Never checking outbound links, so pages accumulate dead ones.

FAQs

Does linking out hurt my rankings?

No. Relevant citations are a normal part of good content.

Should external links open in a new tab?

Usually yes, so the visitor keeps your page open.

WRITTEN BY TARIQ SALLAM

Marketing Consultant. Entrepreneur. Content Creator.

I'm a marketing consultant, entrepreneur and content creator. I help businesses grow through practical marketing, websites, SEO, content and AI.

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