External Link

External link — a link from one page to a page on a different domain; it helps a site cite sources and connect to the broader ecosystem around the topic.

External Link (External Link / Outbound Link) is a link from one web page to a page on a different domain. These are links from your page content to another website.

SEO effects of external links:

• Linking to authoritative and relevant sources strengthens E-E-A-T signals
• Showing your information sources transparently increases trustworthiness
• It creates an indirect relationship with the sites you link to (it can be a first step toward earning a backlink)
• It adds value for the user and improves the perceived quality of the content

A common myth says that “linking out leaks authority.” This is not true; modern Google works with quality signals, and meaningful external links do not lower rankings, but rather support them.

Things to pay attention to when giving external links:

• Do not link to spam or low-quality sites
• Add rel="sponsored" to links that contain ads or sponsorships
• Add rel="ugc" to links in user-generated content
• Add rel="nofollow" to links you do not trust

Tip: In your content, give external links to original sources for the data, statistics, and quotes you cite. This both improves editorial quality and creates an E-E-A-T signal.