External links are important for an effective SEO strategy. By linking to high quality sites and earning backlinks from reputable sources, you can establish credibility and improve your site’s visibility.
What Are External Links?
External links are hyperlinks connecting your website to another site, or vice versa. They differ from internal links, which only connect pages within your own site. These external connections tell search engines that your site is networked with other valuable resources, indicating quality.
For instance, if you run a blog on technology and link to industry sources like Google’s Developer Blog or credible publications like Wired, you’re signalling to search engines and readers that your content is reliable and well-researched. These references add authority to your page, which can positively impact SEO.
Types of External Links
To understand how external links function, let’s break down the primary types: outbound links and backlinks.
- Outbound Links: These are links from your site to another, often used to support claims i.e. references, or direct readers to additional information. When used thoughtfully, outbound links enhance the user experience by providing value beyond what’s on your page.
- Backlinks: These are links from other websites pointing back to your site, often called “inbound links”. Backlinks act as “votes of confidence”, signadling to search engines that your content is trustworthy and valuable. Quality backlinks from high-authority sites strengthen your domain authority, making your content appear more credible and improving your site’s overall ranking potential.
If a respected website in digital marketing links to your article on SEO techniques, it suggests to search engines that your content is reliable.
Why External Links Are Important for SEO
External links have an influence on SEO because they help search engines understand your content’s context and credibility. Here are key ways external links benefit SEO:
- Authority and Credibility: Search engines like Google consider a link from a trusted site as an endorsement, indicating that your content is valuable and worthy of reference.
- Improved User Experience: Linking to relevant resources enriches the user experience, offering them access to valuable information that complements your content.
- Building Industry Relationships: External links can foster connections within your industry, leading to potential collaborations, co-marketing opportunities, and partnerships that enhance your visibility.
In short, external links are a gateway to building a robust online reputation, which is essential for achieving higher rankings and attracting a loyal audience.
Benefits of External Linking
Let’s look at some concrete benefits that external links can bring:
- Higher Rankings: Quality backlinks signal to search engines that your content is credible, helping your pages climb the ranks. Sites with a strong backlink profile are often viewed as more authoritative. for target keywords. Tools like Semrush and Ahrefs show how many backlinks are typically required to rank for certain keywords by analysing the backlink profiles of high-ranking sites.
- Referral Traffic: External links aren’t just good for SEO; they’re also a source of direct traffic. When another website links to your page, their audience may click through, bringing new visitors to your site.
- Enhanced Brand Awareness: When authoritative sites link to your content, it introduces your brand to a broader audience. Increased exposure can result in new followers, subscribers, or customers.
- Strengthened Domain Authority: Backlinks from respected sources boost your domain authority (DA), an SEO metric reflecting a site’s ability to rank on search engines.
Tip: If your website about sustainable products is linked by a popular eco-friendly marketplace, you not only gain referral traffic but also increase your brand’s credibility within the sustainability niche.
Types of Backlinks and Their Impact
Not all backlinks are equal. The source and relevance of a backlink determine its impact on SEO. Here’s a closer look at the distinctions:
Topical Backlinks
Links from websites within your industry carry more SEO weight. For example, a backlink from a website focused on music production to your blog on audio techniques is relevant and beneficial.
Non-Topical Backlinks
Links from unrelated sites can still offer value but typically contribute less to your SEO efforts. These links might help with traffic or brand awareness but don’t carry the same “SEO authority” as topical backlinks.
A backlink from a music production blog to your article on sound design has more SEO impact than a backlink from a fashion magazine, as it is more relevant to your topic.
Best Practices for Effective External Linking
Here’s how to ensure your external links work in your favour:
- Link to Authoritative Sources: Always link to sites with strong reputations, high domain authority, and content relevant to your own. Avoid linking to low-quality sites that may harm your credibility.
- Use Clear, Descriptive Anchor Text: Anchor text (same is in internal linking) should be concise and informative. Instead of vague terms like “click here,” use anchor text that accurately describes the content it links to. I.e. if the content is about music production tools, an anchor such as “Music production tools” works better than a simple “click here”.
- Maintain a Balance in Link Quantity: External links should add value without overwhelming your content. Use them selectively for additional information and as references. Including too many external links can distract readers and potentially lead them away from your site, which is not ideal.
- Set External Links to Open in a New Tab: This simple step allows users to explore external resources while keeping your site open, improving engagement metrics like session duration.
How to get Backlinks
Acquiring quality backlinks is a time consuming process. However, they will help your website in the long run. Here’s a step by step guide on how to work in getting backlinks:
Start by identifying high-authority websites in your niche with tools like Ahrefs, Moz, or SEMrush. Focus on sites with audiences similar to yours for the best impact. Create standout content, such as research pieces or infographics, and keep it updated to attract backlinks.
When reaching out to site owners or influencers, craft a personalized pitch explaining how your content benefits their audience and why collaboration could be mutually valuable. Guest posting on industry sites and submitting to relevant directories can also be effective for link building.
Monitor your backlinks regularly, tracking quality and SEO impact. If you encounter harmful links, use Google’s Disavow Tool to reduce their effect on your rankings.
Common Issues in External Linking
While external links are valuable, there are some common mistakes to avoid:
- Linking to Low-Quality or Irrelevant Sites: Links to unreliable or unrelated sites can hurt your credibility and confuse your audience. Only link to sites that align with your content’s message. Avoid PBN’s and Link Farms.
- Using Excessive External Links: Overusing external links can make your page look cluttered and distract readers from your content. Maintain a balance between linking out and keeping readers focused on your message.
- Paid Link Schemes: Avoid purchasing links or using schemes that attempt to manipulate rankings artificially. Work on creating valuable content that other sites want to link to. This can be newsworthy content, research, unique life stories, opinion pieces, infographics and more…!
Link Farms: Typically consist of a large group of interconnected websites with the primary goal of linking to one another to artificially boost rankings. They’re usually low-quality sites created solely for the purpose of link-building.
PBNs: A more sophisticated version than Link Farms, PBNs are independently controlled websites that appear unrelated but are owned by the same entity. They link back to a target site to manipulate rankings. While they often use higher-quality sites than link farms, they still violate search engine guidelines.
Conclusion
Incorporating external links into your SEO strategy can give your site a boost. They enhance your authority, improve search rankings, and help you build connections with other industry experts. Focusing on quality over quantity, especially with topical backlinks, will yield the best results.
Remember, effective link-building is a long-term, time-consuming process that requires ongoing effort. Be patient, as the results may take time to show.