Will Too Many Outbound Links Hurt My Website?

In the world of linking, there’s a fine line between too many outbound links and not enough.

In the eyes of the Google PageRank algorithm, too much of a good thing in terms of outbound links might just lose your website the credibility it so desires.

But, there are ways to navigate the Google waters without drowning in hyperlinks altogether.

The following explains the effect of too many outbound links on your website as well as how to properly link in the future.

Outbound Links: How Many is Too Many?

Although there isn’t an actual limit to how many outbound links any one web page can contain, link greediness will get your website in hot water.

Sure, outbound links do add value to your website, but only if they’re valuable themselves.

The right balance of outbound links from page to page within your website will mean the difference between an informative, PageRank-healthy website or a penalized website with zero rank and no credibility.

SEO practices have changed throughout the years and what was once considered the standard in outbound linking, like dozens of links per web page, is now frowned upon. Web pages littered with links just look spammy in the eyes of today’s Internet community.

So, to avoid that spammy sensation, here are just a few ways to ensure your website uses outbound links properly:

Link in Moderation

As stated before, an overload of links will only hurt your PageRank.

The reason this statement is repeated is because of its importance to the health of your website. Google considers heavy outbound linking tantamount to linking farms and greedy pay-per-click practices.

Although Google is doing its part to put an end to websites that are only in existence to move up in search engine rankings without providing any real information, you can help stop the over-linking by simply linking in moderation.

Relevance is Everything

All of this is not to say outbound linking is bad by any means.

As long as the link is relevant to your webpage and an authority on the subject matter itself, it’s a win-win combination.

But, stuffing links in an online article or webpage just for the sake of PageRank isn’t helpful to anyone.

In other words, quality content on both ends of the link is at the heart of proper outbound linking.

If you’re trying to further describe an idea within your writing, linking to a separate, more in-depth article is a great way to properly outbound link. Just don’t link to a lawnmower maintenance website within an article about business marketing and you’ll be fine.

Linking Ethics

The words reputable, quality, and authoritative should all come to mind when choosing an outbound link URL. Likewise, your website should have those same qualities.

If the website you link to isn’t the same caliber as your own or vice versa, it becomes a question of linking ethics. Besides, you wouldn’t want a poorly constructed, spam-heavy webpage linking to your quality, reputable site.

By following the tips above and avoiding outbound linking greediness, your PageRank will improve its chances of soaring to new heights by way of quality, not quantity.

What About You?
What are your tips towards outbound links and feeding the beast called Google? Let us know in the comments below.

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About the Author
Adam Groff is a freelance writer and creator of content. He writes on a variety of topics including business, Reputation.com reviews, and SEO.