Links connect information across the web. They help visitors move from one resource to another and find more details about a topic.
One common type is an external link.
So, what is an external link? They are links that take users from one website to a different website or domain.
For example, if your blog links to an official study on another website, that is an external link. These links are also known as outbound links when viewed from the website sending the visitor away.
Good external linking can make content more useful. It gives readers access to sources, research, tools, and other helpful resources.
What Does “External Link” Mean?
The external link’s meaning is simple. It is a hyperlink that points to a different domain.
Imagine your website is:
example.com
You add a link to:
anotherwebsite.com
That link is external because the target page is on another domain.
These links may lead to:
- Official websites
- Research studies
- News sources
- Government websites
- Product documentation
- Industry publications
- Educational resources
The main point is the destination. If a link sends users to an external website, it is an external link.
What Is an Example of an External Link?
Suppose you publish a page about SEO.
You mention a useful search engine guide and link readers to its official website.
That connection is external because the visitor leaves your domain.
Another example is an e-commerce blog that links to the official website of a product manufacturer.
In both cases, the destination is on another domain.
The design or color of the link does not matter. Its destination determines whether it is internal or external.
Internal vs. External Links
Understanding internal vs. external links is easy once you look at their destinations.
An internal link connects one page on your site to another page on the same domain.
An external link connects your page to another domain.
For example:
Internal:
example.com/seo/ → example.com/keyword-research/
External:
example.com/seo/ → anotherwebsite.com/seo-guide/
Both are useful types of links.
Internal links mainly support navigation and site structure. External connections can send visitors to useful third-party information.
A good SEO strategy can use both SEO links naturally.
Why Are External Links Important?
External links can make an article more helpful.
The goal is not to add the highest number of links. Each link should have a clear reason for being there.
Support Your Information
If you mention research, statistics, or official information, you can link to the original source.
This gives readers an easy way to check the information.
Provide More Information
You cannot explain every related subject on one page.
A useful outbound link lets visitors explore another resource when they need more detail.
Connect to Trusted Sources
Site owners can link to official organizations, documentation, research, and other reliable resources.
This can improve the usefulness of an article.
Help Users
Good links save time.
Instead of asking visitors to search for a source themselves, you can send them directly to the relevant resource.
This can benefit both users and search engines when links are relevant and easy to understand.
How Do External Links Affect SEO?
External link SEO should focus on usefulness and context.
Adding links to other websites does not mean your page will automatically be ranked higher.
Instead, use links where they genuinely help the reader.
For example, linking to an original study when discussing its findings gives visitors access to the source.
Links can also provide context that may help search engines understand your content and its relationships with other web resources.
However, avoid unrelated or poor-quality destinations.
Search engines like Google aim to understand pages using many signals. External linking is only one part of a much larger SEO picture.
Your main goal should be to create useful content rather than adding links only because you expect a ranking benefit.
What Is Anchor Text?
Anchor text is the clickable wording of a link.
For example:
Read this technical SEO guide for more details.
“Technical SEO guide” is the anchor text.
Clear anchor text tells visitors what they can expect after clicking.
Compare these examples:
Weak: Click here.
Better: Read the technical SEO guide.
The second option provides more context.
Natural wording can also help Google understand what the linked resource is about.
Avoid forcing keywords into every anchor. Write for readers first.
What Are Link Attributes?
Link attributes provide extra information about a link.
Depending on the situation, you may use different attributes.
No Follow Links
Nofollow links use the rel="nofollow" value.
The rel nofollow attribute can be used when you do not want to associate your site with the linked page in the normal way for ranking purposes.
Sponsored Links
Sponsored links should be identified when a link exists because of advertising, sponsorship, or another compensated arrangement.
The rel="sponsored" value can be used for this purpose.
UGC Links
UGC links are associated with user-generated content.
For example, links added through comments or forum posts may use:
rel="ugc"
Using suitable attributes helps provide more information about the relationship between your page and the destination.
External Links and Backlinks
External links and backlinks are related, but the terms describe links from different viewpoints.
If your website links to another domain, that is an outbound or external link for you.
For the website receiving that link, it may be a backlink.
For example:
yoursite.com → example.com
For your site, it is an outbound link.
For example.com, it is a backlink from your website.
A link to your site from another domain can therefore become part of your backlink profile.
This distinction is useful when studying link building and SEO.
How to Use External Links Correctly
Good external linking does not need to be complicated.
Choose Relevant Sources
The destination should relate directly to your topic.
Avoid adding unrelated links simply to increase the number of connections.
Use Clear Anchor Text
Describe the destination naturally.
Visitors should have a reasonable idea of what they will see after clicking.
Link to Useful Sources
When possible, link directly to the original or most useful source.
If you discuss a research study, for example, linking to the study itself may be more useful than linking to a page that briefly mentions it.
Check Links Regularly
Web pages can disappear or move.
Review important outbound links from time to time to make sure they still work.
Use the Right Attributes
Use nofollow, sponsored, or UGC attributes when they fit the relationship between your website and the linked page.
These simple practices can make site linking cleaner and more useful.
What Are Broken External Links?
Broken external links point to pages that are no longer available or cannot be reached correctly.
For example, you may link to a useful article today. A year later, the publisher may delete that article.
Your link could then lead visitors to an error page.
Broken links can create a poor experience because users expect the destination to work.
You can fix them by:
- Updating the URL
- Finding a replacement source
- Removing the link
- Linking to a newer resource
Checking links is especially important for older articles.
How to Check External Links on a Website
Small websites can check important links manually.
Open a page and test its outbound links. Make sure each one reaches the intended destination.
For larger websites, a website link checker or SEO tool can save time.
These tools may identify:
- Broken links
- Redirects
- External domains
- HTTP status codes
- Link attributes
- Pages containing outbound links
A crawler can also show how many links to a page or external resources appear across your website.
This is much faster than checking hundreds of pages manually.
How to Open an External Link in a New Tab
Website developers can use HTML when they want a link to open in another tab.
For example:
<a href="https://example.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
Visit Example
</a>The target="_blank" value asks the browser to open the destination in a new browsing context.
However, every outbound link does not need to open in a new tab.
Choose the option that provides the best experience for visitors.
External Linking and Link Building
External linking should not be confused with building linking or link-building campaigns.
External linking means your website links to another website.
Link building usually focuses on earning links from other websites back to your own pages.
For example, if another website links to one of your articles, that connection may become a backlink for your site.
A page with useful content may naturally attract links over time, but there is no guarantee that adding outbound links will make other websites link back.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are External Links?
External links are hyperlinks that send visitors from one website to another domain. They are often used for sources, references, tools, and additional information.
What Does “External Link” Mean?
An external link is simply a link whose destination is on another website rather than the website where the link appears.
Are External Links and Outbound Links the Same?
They are often used to describe the same connection when a page links out to another domain. “Outbound” emphasizes that the link sends a visitor away from the current website.
Do External Links Help SEO?
Relevant links can make content more useful and provide supporting sources. However, adding them does not automatically improve a page’s position in a search result.
How Can I Check External Links?
You can check them manually or use a website crawler or link-checking tool. These tools can identify broken URLs, redirects, external domains, and link attributes.
Final Thoughts
External links connect your website with useful information across the wider web.
The best external linking approach is simple. Link when another resource genuinely helps your reader.
Choose relevant destinations, use clear anchor text, check for broken external links, and apply suitable link attributes when needed.
Do not focus only on the number of links or whether a page may rank higher.
Instead, make each link useful.
When external and internal links are used naturally, they can create a clearer website and a better experience for visitors.