When we think of SEO, the usual suspects come to mind—keywords, content, and backlinks. But there’s another game-changer that often flies under the radar: external links.
These quiet yet mighty links have the power to boost your content’s authority, enhance user experience, and even improve your search engine rankings. They’re not just an afterthought—they’re a critical piece of the SEO puzzle.
In this guide, we’re diving into what external links really are, why they matter, and how using them strategically can elevate your site’s SEO game. Let’s dive in!
What Are External Links?
Let’s start with the basics.
External links are hyperlinks that point from your website to another domain. In simple terms, if you link to a different website, that’s an external link. These links act like a bridge, connecting your site to the rest of the internet.
For example, if your blog links to a detailed SEO strategy guide on Backlinko, that’s considered an external link.
These are different from:
- Internal links, which connect one page of your site to another.
- Backlinks, which are external links coming into your site from another domain.
Often referred to as outbound links, external links direct users away from your website. Although this may seem counterproductive at first, linking to high-quality sources can actually be incredibly beneficial for SEO when done the right way.
Why External Links Matter for SEO
Google treats external links as signals of trust. When you link out to authoritative, relevant sources, you’re essentially telling search engines, “I’ve done my research, and here’s proof.” This not only improves your content’s credibility but also helps search engines understand its context more clearly.
For starters, external links strengthen topical relevance. When you reference high-quality sources that are closely related to your subject, it gives your content more depth and helps Google grasp what your page is really about. They also play a big role in building trust with your audience. Readers are more likely to believe your claims when you openly cite industry leaders or data-backed sources.
On the technical side, external links help search engines crawl the web more efficiently. They create pathways from your site to others, helping search engines discover and index content more effectively. Most importantly, external linking supports Google’s E-E-A-T framework—Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness. By pointing to respected domains in your niche, you’re demonstrating that your content aligns with industry standards and carries genuine value.
Dofollow vs. Nofollow: What It Means for External Links
Not all external links are treated equally in the eyes of search engines. The difference lies in whether they’re tagged as dofollow or nofollow—two small attributes that carry very different SEO implications.
A dofollow external link is the standard. It passes link equity (often called “link juice”) to the page you’re linking to. This tells search engines, “I trust this source, and it deserves credit.” So when you link to a high-authority site using a dofollow link, you’re signaling that it’s a valuable reference.
On the other hand, a nofollow external link tells search engines not to pass ranking value. You’re basically saying, “I’m linking to this, but I’m not vouching for it.” This is useful in certain cases—like when you’re linking to:
- User-generated content (e.g., blog comments)
- Sponsored or affiliate links
- Pages you don’t fully endorse or want to keep distance from
By default, all external links are dofollow unless you specify otherwise. That’s why it’s important to be intentional. A natural, balanced mix of both dofollow and nofollow external links helps maintain a healthy link profile and keeps your SEO strategy both safe and effective.
When Should You Use External Links?
Adding external links just for the sake of SEO isn’t a good strategy. The key is relevance and context.
Use external links when:
- You reference a statistic or study
- You cite expert opinions
- You want to provide additional reading
- You refer to a source your audience trusts
Example: Writing about content marketing? Linking to HubSpot or Semrush makes sense. Writing about SEO algorithms? Linking to Google’s official documentation adds credibility.
Always link to high-authority and relevant sites. Avoid linking to low-quality domains or unrelated topics—that can confuse search engines and weaken your page’s authority.
External Links vs. Backlinks: What’s the Difference?
People often confuse external links with backlinks. While they’re both hyperlinks between domains, they move in opposite directions.
- External link: From your site to another.
- Backlink: From another site to yours.
Here’s the twist—external links can help you earn backlinks too. When you link to quality content, the site you linked to might notice and link back to you. This link reciprocity is a natural byproduct of building relationships within your industry or community.
Best Practices for External Linking
Here are some best practices to ensure you’re using external links effectively and ethically:
1. Link to Trusted and Relevant Domains
Not all websites are worth linking to. When you add an external link, you’re vouching for that source—so make it count.
Stick to domains that are well-established, authoritative, and directly related to the topic you’re discussing. Government sites (.gov), educational institutions (.edu), and respected industry sources (.org and credible .com sites like HubSpot, Backlinko, or Google Search Central) are generally safe bets.
Avoid linking to spammy, outdated, or irrelevant sites. Doing so not only hurts your SEO but also makes your content look less trustworthy to users.
2. Use Descriptive and Clear Anchor Text
Anchor text—the clickable words in your hyperlink—matters more than you think. Search engines use it to understand the context of both your page and the page you’re linking to. So if you’re linking to an external guide on local SEO, the anchor text should reflect that.
- Instead of: “Click here to read more about SEO.”
- Use: “Read this comprehensive SEO guide from Moz.”
3. Keep It Natural and Contextual
External links should add value, not clutter. Don’t sprinkle links throughout your content just to hit a quota or because you read somewhere that “linking out is good for SEO.”
Ask yourself:
- Does this link genuinely help the reader understand the topic better?
- Is the destination page trustworthy and up to date?
- Does the link fit seamlessly into the sentence?
If the answer’s yes, go for it. If not, it’s better to leave it out.
A natural linking pattern also makes your content look less spammy and more helpful—something both search engines and real humans appreciate.
4. Open External Links in a New Tab
When someone clicks an external link, you don’t want them to completely leave your site. By setting links to open in a new browser tab, you allow users to explore the source without ending their current session on your page.
Most CMS platforms (like WordPress) make this easy—just toggle “open in new tab” when inserting the link.
This small tweak improves session duration, keeps users engaged with your site longer, and leads to a better overall user experience.
5. Monitor and Maintain Your External Links
Even the best links can go bad over time. The page you linked to might get removed, redirected, or changed significantly. And broken links—those dreaded 404 errors—create a poor user experience and can harm your SEO performance.
That’s why it’s important to audit your external links regularly. You can use tools like:
- Screaming Frog (a website crawler that checks for broken links)
- Ahrefs or SEMrush (to monitor link health and outbound link profiles)
- Google Search Console (to get crawl error reports)
Make link checking part of your content maintenance routine—especially for older blog posts and cornerstone pages.
Common External Linking Mistakes to Avoid
Let’s be honest — people get external links wrong all the time. Watch out for these pitfalls:
- Linking to Low-Quality Sites
This can damage your site’s credibility and hurt your trust signals with search engines. - Overlinking
Adding too many external links on a single page confuses readers and dilutes your authority. - Ignoring Nofollow When Needed
Failing to mark paid or user-generated links as nofollow can violate Google’s guidelines. - Using Spammy Anchor Text
Stuffing keywords or using vague phrases like “click here” doesn’t support SEO or usability. - Failing to Audit Your Links
Broken or outdated links lead to poor user experience and can negatively impact your rankings.
Final Thoughts
Mastering external links might seem simple, but there’s an art to doing it right. Think of every external link as a recommendation. When you recommend trustworthy, helpful resources, you build trust with your readers and with search engines.
Over time, this strengthens your entire SEO foundation. Your site becomes more authoritative, your rankings improve, and you deliver more value to your audience.
So don’t be afraid to link out — just do it wisely.
FAQs
1. Should I always use nofollow for external links?
Use dofollow links for reliable and relevant resources that enhance your content. Reserve nofollow for paid links, unreliable sources, or user-generated content to prevent passing link equity where it’s not needed.”
2. Can too many external links hurt my site?
Yes. If you include too many external links—especially to low-quality or irrelevant sites—it can dilute your content and appear spammy. Stick to high-quality, contextually relevant outbound links in moderation.
3. What’s the difference between a backlink and an external link?
A backlink is a link from another website to your site, while an external link is a link from your site to another domain. Both play different but important roles in SEO.
4. Are affiliate links considered external links?
Yes, affiliate links are a type of external link. To comply with Google’s guidelines, these should typically be marked with rel=”nofollow” or rel=”sponsored” attributes.
5. Should external links open in a new tab?
Usually, yes. Opening external links in a new tab (target=”_blank”) helps users explore the linked resource without leaving your website entirely, improving user experience.