As a continuation of the previous article that discussed internal link optimization, on this occasion, I will continue to discuss the issue of external or outbound links optimization.
Yes, external links are one of the many on-page SEO techniques that can affect article rankings on search engines. With these links, readers will find it easier to get or use the related information being discussed.
However, from the past until now, at least there are some assumptions about external links that very often appear in forums or other sources of information. Call it like:
- Lowering DA PA
- Lower Alexa ranking
- Lower article ranking
- Increase the value of spam score
- Damage the credibility of the blog in the eyes of search engines engines
- Potential to spread dangerous viruses or malware.
If you see all the assumptions above, how do you think about it? Are you still interested? In addition to all the assumptions above, most bloggers are also often confused about the maximum number of links that can be used in writing. Well, according to posts I've read, Google only suggests 100 outbound links in each post.
An external link is a type of link that will redirect readers to another blog page or site. In addition, this type of link is also known as an outgoing link. When writing content, sometimes the material being discussed requires providing links to other sites. For example, when writing an article about a list of the 50 best templates in 2020, in each list, the author usually links the list with the source to make it easier for visitors to see the template.
5 Ways to Optimize External Links
Make Sure The Destination Page Has High Credibility
This is the most important point of this discussion, make sure to choose a site or website that has high credibility that has become a trusted source of information by many readers. If you are still confused about the site, call it like W3Schools or Ubersuggest.
Use Anchor Text
Not only internal links, but external links also really need anchor text. The anchor text is useful for providing information or descriptions to the reader about the destination page. Use anchor text that is relevant to the discussion so that the writing becomes more SEO-friendly.
Make sure the Destination Page is Relevant to the Discussion Topic
Similar to my previous article, you need to use links that are indeed relevant to the topic of discussion, at least to clarify and deepen the information provided. For example, if you are discussing HTML, CSS, or JavaScript scripting, then you can link the article to a page that discusses parse script tools.
Use the Rel Attribute
For those who don't know, the word rel in the attribute is an abbreviation of the word Relationship which means Relationship. So, the rel attribute serves to inform search engine robots about the relationship between two related pages. Generally, there are several values of the rel attribute. What are they?
- Nofollow
- Noopener
- Noreferrer.
Note: For writing, use the following format
<a href="#" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="#"><strong>Anchor text here</strong></a>Needless to say, external links also have a very important role in optimizing blog SEO. If likened to a human being, giving an external link is the same as greeting other people. With this friendly nature, we will also be more recognized and liked by others.
Enough articles about how to optimize external links effectively, I hope it's useful for you. Thank you and good luck.