Linking to other websites used to be seen as almost scandalous, like admitting your partner cooks a better Sunday roast than you. Surely pointing readers elsewhere means they’ll never come back, right?
In reality, linking out – when done thoughtfully – can be a great way to strengthen your search engine optimisation (SEO).
Think about it. When you recommend a great book, a helpful podcast or even a good local curry house, your friends don’t respect you less, they trust you more. It’s the same with Google. Outbound links, when they go to reputable and relevant sources, show that your site is part of a wider conversation and not locked in its own little bubble. Search engines like to see that you’re contributing to the web rather than hoarding attention like a miser with a jar of biscuits.
Of course, not all links are created equal. Sending readers to a spam-ridden site is like recommending a dodgy mechanic who takes three weeks to lose your car. It’s only going to reflect badly on you. But if you link to authority sites, thought leaders or even well-written articles that support your point, it signals quality. It also creates opportunities for people to notice you, share your content, and perhaps even link back. That’s where relationships are built, and in SEO, relationships can often translate into rankings.
With the rise of generative engine optimisation (GEO) and AI-driven search like Google’s AI Overviews, the importance of these connections has only grown. Large language models don’t just crawl your content in isolation, they look at how it fits into the wider web. If your site plays nicely, contributes usefully and points people in the right direction, you’re more likely to be included in artificial intelligence (AI) summaries and recommendations. Linking well could literally mean the difference between your business showing up in those shiny new AI-driven results or being left behind while your competitors enjoy the spotlight.
So next time you’re tempted to avoid linking out, remember it’s not about shutting the door on your readers. It’s about opening a window and letting them see that you’re confident enough in your own expertise to share the stage. That confidence, paired with a smart SEO strategy, is exactly what helps you win in today’s search landscape.
If you’d like to know more about how to build authority and get found in Google’s new AI-driven world, get in touch with the team at Engage Web.
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