What Is External Link? 6 Best Tips to Build Authority

What Is External Link?

An external link is a link added to content to direct users to another website with a different domain. These links are often referred to as backlinks or outbound links.

The purpose of an external link can vary depending on how it is used. First, these links can be used to provide additional explanations, making the information presented more credible.

Second, these links can also be created as a form of collaboration between websites to increase traffic or visits. With these purposes in mind, the use of links to external sites can enrich content and provide added value to readers.

External Link Function

In order to understand the usefulness of external links, it is necessary to have a look at some of their main functions in the digital world. Here are some external link functions you should know.

1. Act as An External Source

As mentioned above, external links can act as external sources. Adding these links to your content can make the information in an article more trustworthy.

This is because the links contain supporting references from external sources can help reassure readers about the accuracy of the information.

In this context, external links are typically used to support data or theories from sources, as well as citations from other articles or studies.

2. Connect Related Content

External links can also act as a bridge to connect content with related topics or discussions. This means that external links can provide additional information not covered in the main content, giving readers a broader perspective.

This is because similar topics often indicate that one website and another may have different information that can complement each other, allowing readers to learn more about the topic presented.

In this way, external links serve to deepen the reader's understanding of the topic being discussed.

3. Digital Marketing Strategy

After all, external linking is a digital marketing strategy, too. One website can collaborate with another by adding backlinks or outbound links to increase traffic to both sites. With a good strategy, the placement of links in digital marketing benefits both parties. 

In addition, readers no longer need to manually search for other sites as they can access the link to that site directly while reading content on your site.

Differences Between External Links and Internal Links

If an external link is a link that directs users to another website, what about internal links? Both terms are essential elements of a digital marketing strategy, each offering significant benefits to a website.

To differentiate between them, you can categorize them according to how they're used and intended. In terms of use, an internal link is used to direct readers to another page within the same website. This is very different from an external link, which takes the reader to another website.

The purpose of internal links is to encourage readers to spend more time on your site, thereby increasing user interaction and engagement.

In addition, internal links help to create a clearer content structure, allowing readers to easily find related information and improving their reading experience.

On the other hand, external links aim to expand readers' knowledge by providing access to trusted sources that you recommend.

In addition, external links in SEO can help you achieve a higher ranking on Google, as the more links pointing to your site, the more Google trusts the quality of your site.

How to Implement External Links

When adding SEO-friendly external links, it's helpful to follow these effective implementation tips. Check out the steps below!

1. Use Only Trusted Links

The First tip is to make sure you are using external links that are trusted by Google. Linking to other sites that are recognised by Google signals that your content is also high quality and trustworthy.

External links from high-authority sources can add credibility to your content. So you can choose trustworthy sources and avoid sites with ads, excessive outbound links, or gambling sites.

2. Ensure Content Relevance

When adding external links to your content, make sure they are relevant to the topic being discussed. You need to make sure that links should be related to the discussion or have the same niche as the topic you're covering.

3. Don’t Add too Much Link

If you have several keywords related to the topic of the external link you're adding, it's best to choose just one. Adding more than one link for the same topic can be disruptive to the reading experience.

Therefore, you should use links in a reasonable amount of your content. The key is to avoid too many, but not too few.

4. Use Anchor Text

It can be the best option to use anchor text when creating an external link. You can adjust the anchor text to the topic of the link and include relevant keywords.

This approach provides a better reading experience for users without displaying the URL directly. Anchor text also helps your content attract traffic by using keywords that readers can easily find.

5. Insert Naturally and Consistently

Place links naturally into your content. Include sentences that don't interrupt the flow of the text and encourage readers to click on the link.

Also, you need to avoid clumping links in one area by distributing links evenly throughout your content. However, avoid using too many links, especially if you cannot verify the credibility of the linked websites.

6. Pay Attention to Nofollow and Dofollow Links

Be aware of when to use nofollow and dofollow for different types of websites. For example, links in community forums, blog comments, paid advertisements and less trustworthy sites should use nofollow.

Adding nofollow helps reduce spam in forums and blog comments. In addition, nofollow tags on paid advertising links prevent Google from considering these links irrelevant. Using nofollow on less trustworthy sites can also protect the health of your blog.

Conversely, use dofollow only for trusted sites, as this will give you extra search engine ranking points.