Improving Your Website With Outbound Links

Most website owners spend a great deal of time working to develop inbound links, or links from other websites that point into your website. This is a good thing, because it helps with search engine ranking and it helps you to take advantage of the other website’s traffic. But, in addition to links pointing into your website, you also want to consider outbound links, or links that point to other websites placed on your website.

It may not sound like a good idea to have links that point your readers someplace else, but it can be an incredibly important tool. Having outbound links can greatly increase your search engine rankings as well. This is because they show your website as an authority website on that particular topic.

Here are some tips for those who are hoping to improve their website through the use of outbound links.

1. These links can point to other pages of your own website. This can increase the navigation of the website, too. This is often called cross-linking. Using a navigation menu on most pages will greatly enhance the usability of the website.
2. Avoid putting all of your outbound links on one web page. Some webmasters do this to avoid losing consumers to other sources. But, this does not give you the same benefit as linking throughout the website to other, authority websites.
3. Use the TARGET attribute when you input a link. This will allow you to tell the browser to open a new window when someone clicks on the link. That means that your window stays open on their screen too, and therefore you have not lost your visitor.
4. Use external links that do not send visitors to a competitor but to a complimentary website. For example, if you sell house windows, you may want to send your visitor to a website talking about Energy Star ratings. This educates the reader further while still keeping them at your website.
5. Keep up to date on your links. If any of them are broken, or fail to deliver to you, this could result in difficulties for your visitor and of course frustration. Rather, check links often to ensure they are functioning properly.

Outbound links can be a great way to boost your search engine results. The key is to use them as a way of enhancing the experience your visitor has rather than a way to lose customers.