Are External Links Important for SEO?

Summary

This video script emphasizes the importance of incorporating external links into your website for SEO purposes. It highlights the need to link to high-authority websites to maintain a natural and relevant online presence. The speaker illustrates this with an example of linking to SamCart through an affiliate link in a blog post. They also discuss the use of 'nofollow' and 'noindex' tags to manage link value and prevent link juice dilution, while stressing the importance of external linking for user benefit and demonstrating to Google that the site is diverse in its linking strategy.

Takeaways

• 🔗 External links are important for SEO as they add naturalness and relevance to a website's content.
• 🌐 Linking to high authority websites is crucial from an SEO perspective, as it enhances the site's credibility.
• 🔒 Including external links does not necessarily drive people away; it's about linking out where it's relevant and appropriate.
• 📚 The speaker uses a 'same rush tutorial' as an example of relevant external linking within a blog post.
• 🛑 No follow tags can be used on external links to prevent the passing of link value to other websites.
• 🚀 Google bots appreciate external links as they show the site is part of the broader web, not just an isolated resource.
• ❌ Using no index tags on external links can prevent search engines from indexing those linked pages.
• 🔑 Linking out to authoritative sources like Google, YouTube, and SEMrush can demonstrate the site's comprehensiveness.
• 💰 Utilizing affiliate links for external linking can provide additional benefits like earning commissions.
• 🎯 The script emphasizes the importance of on-page SEO, suggesting a balanced approach to internal and external linking.
• 📈 There is no fixed number of external links required; the focus should be on relevance and appropriateness.

Q & A

What is the main topic discussed in the video script?

The main topic discussed in the video script is the importance of adding external links to a website from an SEO perspective, and how to do it naturally and relevantly.

Why is it important to include external links on a webpage for SEO?

Including external links on a webpage is important for SEO because it helps to make the site look natural, relevant, and authoritative by linking out to high-authority websites.

What is the concern about adding external links to a website?

The concern is that adding external links might drive people away from the website, which is why it should not be done on a massive scale.

Can external links be used to link to affiliate programs?

Yes, the script mentions using external links to affiliate programs like SamCart, which can be beneficial for both SEO and earning commissions.

What is the role of 'no follow' and 'no index' tags in external linking?

The 'no follow' and 'no index' tags are used to prevent passing link value to the websites being linked to and to avoid draining link juice, respectively.

What are some examples of high-authority websites to link to according to the script?

Examples of high-authority websites to link to include Google, YouTube, and SEMrush, as they are seen as authoritative online.

How does linking out to authority websites benefit the user experience?

Linking out to authority websites benefits the user experience by providing them with access to relevant and authoritative content, enhancing the value of the original webpage.

What is the purpose of using affiliate links when linking out to external websites?

The purpose of using affiliate links is to potentially earn commissions when users follow the link and make purchases or take actions on the external website.

Is there a specific number of external links that should be included on a webpage?

No, there is no specific number of external links that should be included. It should be done where it is appropriate and possible.

How does external linking affect the perception of a website by search engines like Google?

External linking can positively affect the perception of a website by search engines by showing that it is not just a 'one trick pony' and that it provides value by linking to diverse and relevant content.

What is the final advice given in the script regarding external linking for on-page SEO?

The final advice is to include external links where appropriate and possible, ensuring that the webpage does not only contain internal links, to enhance on-page SEO.

Outlines

00:00

🔗 Importance of External Links for SEO

This paragraph discusses the significance of incorporating external links into a website for SEO purposes. It emphasizes the need to link to high-authority websites when it's relevant and appropriate, to maintain a natural and clean appearance. The speaker argues against the notion that external links drive visitors away, instead highlighting the importance of linking out to authority sites for SEO. They provide an example of linking to Sam Rush through an affiliate link within a blog post, stressing the relevance of the link to the content. The paragraph also touches on the use of 'no follow' and 'no index' tags to prevent the loss of link value and to show search engines that the website is not solely focused on internal links.

Keywords

💡Internal Links

Internal links are hyperlinks that point to other pages within the same website. They are crucial for SEO as they help search engines understand the site structure and improve user navigation. In the video, the speaker mentions the importance of internal links from an SEO perspective, emphasizing their role in making a website look natural and relevant.

💡External Links

External links are hyperlinks that direct users to content outside of the host website. They are important for SEO as they demonstrate the website's credibility and relevance by linking to authoritative sources. The script discusses the necessity of including external links to high-authority websites to enhance SEO and user experience, despite the common misconception that they drive traffic away.

💡SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

SEO refers to the process of improving a website's visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) through organic means. The video's theme revolves around SEO strategies, particularly the use of internal and external links to enhance a site's ranking and appeal to search engines like Google.

💡High Authority Websites

High authority websites are those that have a high domain authority score, indicating their trustworthiness and relevance in a specific field. The speaker in the video stresses the importance of linking to such sites to boost SEO, as it lends credibility to the content and aligns with Google's preference for authoritative sources.

💡Natural Linking

Natural linking refers to the practice of integrating hyperlinks in a way that appears organic and user-focused rather than forced or spammy. The script mentions the importance of making links look natural to avoid penalties from search engines and to enhance the user experience.

💡Relevance

Relevance in the context of the video pertains to the practice of linking to content that is directly related to the topic at hand. The speaker emphasizes that both internal and external links should be relevant to ensure that the website appears credible and useful to search engines and users.

💡Affiliate Link

An affiliate link is a unique URL that contains an affiliate ID, used to track referrals and earn commissions for promoting a product or service. In the script, the speaker uses an affiliate link to Sam Rush as an example of how to link out to relevant and authoritative websites while also potentially earning revenue.

💡No Follow

The 'no follow' attribute in HTML tells search engines not to follow a link or pass any link equity to the linked site. The video mentions using 'no follow' for external links to prevent the loss of link value, while still providing a useful resource for users.

💡No Index

The 'no index' tag instructs search engines not to index a page, meaning it won't appear in search results. The script suggests using 'no index' on external links to prevent search engines from indexing pages that are not the main focus of the website.

💡Link Juice

Link juice, in the context of SEO, refers to the value or 'juice' that is passed between websites through hyperlinks. The video discusses the concept of not wanting to 'drain link juice' to external websites, which means not wanting to lose the SEO value that a website has by linking out excessively.

💡On-Page SEO

On-page SEO refers to optimizing elements on a web page to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines. The script touches on the importance of on-page SEO, including the strategic use of both internal and external links, to improve a website's visibility and search engine ranking.

Highlights

Importance of internal links from an SEO perspective.

Adding external links to make pages look natural and relevant.

Linking out to high authority websites for SEO purposes.

Controversy over external links driving traffic away.

Linking to authority websites where relevant and appropriate.

Example of linking to SamCart for a tutorial with a free trial.

Using affiliate links to link out while maintaining relevance.

External linking to show the web's interconnected nature.

Adding no follow and no index tags to external links.

Avoiding link juice drain to other websites.

Demonstrating to Google that the site is not a one-trick pony with links.

Linking out to authorities like Google, YouTube, SEMrush.

Benefits of using affiliate links for both SEO and earning commission.

Importance of external links for user experience and on-page SEO.

Guidance on the appropriateness of external linking without a specific number.

The purpose of online presence and on-page SEO.

Transcripts

in the previous video i was speaking

about

internal links and how important that

was

from an seo point of view but to add to

the mix

of making things look natural and making

things look relevant and everything else

you do want to add external links

in some of your pages

just to make sure that things are all

clean tidy natural looking and of course

that you link out to high authority

websites is that important to do from an

seo point of view 100

now yes people will argue that adding

external links to your website drives

people off of your website so you don't

want to be doing it

on a massive scale however

it is really important that you do link

out to authority websites where it's

relevant and where it's appropriate now

i

have got a same rush tutorial on my

website and it provides a 14-day free

trial now

this

is me linking out to sam rush on a

number of occasions yes it's linking out

through my affiliate link but it's

linking out to the most relevant website

that i'm talking about

within that particular blog post now

it's really important that you do do

that because not everything can just be

contained

um

internally now when you're doing

external linking you can make sure it's

no follow it doesn't pass value to the

websites that you're linking out to but

when google's bots are looking at it

it is important to link out and drive

people to other websites that is what

the web is all about driving people in

and around the internet where relevant

and where possible now you can add a no

follow no index tag to your to your

external links that is something you do

probably want to consider so that you're

not draining link juice to everyone's

website but as i say it is really

important to add an element of external

links

to your website to show google that

you're not a one trick pony when it

comes to

links on your pages and they don't all

go to internal pages in your website so

do link out to a google a youtube a

semrush and anything else that is seen

as an authority online there's nothing

at all wrong with doing that and it's

probably really important for your users

to be able to land on these websites and

it's a bonus if you do do it through an

affiliate link drop someone in the same

rush get your commission you're taking

all the boxes from a google and an

on-page seo point of view

and you're making money so

that is something that you do want to do

and that's the whole purpose of has all

been online and

it's also important from an on-page seo

point of view that you do

have that done

so

very simple very easy there's no

specific amount of external links you

need to link out to just do it where

it's appropriate where possible and i

don't think you go too far wrong

[Music]

you