The way Google displays search results (SERPs) largely depends on the number of good links pointing to or found on a web page.
In this article and the next one, we will see what external links are and how to make them work for your website. You will learn some practices for external links to help your content appear higher on the search engine results page.
When should you link to other sites?
External links are hyperlinks that direct readers to a website that is not yours. At first, the use of external links seems contradictory: after all, these links take people away from your website. However, as we will see later in this article, it is one of the tools that you can use to help improve the ranking of your web page.
So, when we correctly implement a good external link strategy, we are improving the ranking of our website.
Advantages of using links
Linking to external websites, when done correctly, offers several benefits:
1- External links improve your credibility
When you add links to trusted and relevant websites to your content, you improve the credibility of your website. Also, external links provide references to your readers, which will improve the authority of your website. Linking to other pages is similar to citing sources in a bibliography for an academic article: it shows that you have created your content based on solid research.
2- External links improve your SEO
The external links you add can help search engines determine the usefulness and quality of your pages. High-quality pages often link to other high-quality pages; therefore, search engines will view your content favorably, helping you rank higher. If you link to an interesting article on a topic of critical interest to your business, Google uses that as a way of knowing what your website is about.
3- External links facilitate the creation of connections
The pages you are linking to will know that you do so. And chances are they'll return the favor and link to your website if the opportunity arises, which is perfect because the more quality backlinks you get, the better. It's an easy and positive way to communicate, make connections in your industry, and get your content to the right audience.
4- External links offer more value to readers
Adding external links provides a better user experience for readers. These links lead to related information that adds value to your content without duplicating it. When your readers see that you constantly link your content to resources that help them obtain more information on the subject that interests them, they will value your website much more.
According to Google, the use of external links is one of the most important factors in achieving a better position on the search results page. In our next article, we'll show you how to use these links to get you noticed and some tricks to put into practice.
However, if you need help creating web pages or how to make yours ready and optimized for the new Google updates, contact any of our SEO experts at PGR Marketing & Technology and start getting to get the most out of your online strategy.
