Do outbound links really help? Should I use them?

General
1

I’m working on a client site (a wedding planner) with a bunch of wedding galleries. I was wondering:

  1. Should I link to the vendors (like photographers, florists, etc.) who were part of the event?

  2. What’s the best way to optimize image alt tags for SEO in the gallery?

  3. How many images are too many for a gallery?

Thanks in advance! Appreciate any advice.

2
  1. Yes, you can link them. Just use a nofollow tag and set the link to open in a new tab.
  2. Make sure to name the image file and alt text according to what’s in the image and the context of your page.
  3. It’s tricky, but try not to overload the gallery. Only use what feels necessary for your visitors.
3

WordsmithWizard1 said:
@mila
Why nofollow?

There’s no need for a nofollow unless the link is paid for. Outbound links don’t boost your domain’s credibility. There’s no score in SEO for outbound links.

4

WordsmithWizard1 said:
@mila
Why nofollow?

I left out a detail. If the site you’re linking to has good authority, you can do a follow link. But if the site has low authority or seems spammy, nofollow is better to avoid any negative effects on your site. Hope that clears things up!

5

@mila
Actually, that’s not accurate. Google doesn’t penalize you for linking to low authority sites. It’s all explained in their guidelines. Outbound links don’t impact your site’s authority unless they’re paid links.

6

@MegWhitgal
Not everything Google does is in their docs. It’s safer not to link to spammy or irrelevant sites. Sometimes following Google’s docs doesn’t always guarantee the best outcome.

7

mila said:
@MegWhitgal
Not everything Google does is in their docs. It’s safer not to link to spammy or irrelevant sites. Sometimes following Google’s docs doesn’t always guarantee the best outcome.

This is one of those myths that won’t die. Everything important is in the Google SEO starter guide. There’s no secret sauce. No need to worry about linking unless it’s paid for.

8

@MegWhitgal
If you want to follow Google’s docs to the letter, go for it. I just prefer not to link to questionable sites. We all have our own approach, right? :blush:

9

mila said:
@MegWhitgal
If you want to follow Google’s docs to the letter, go for it. I just prefer not to link to questionable sites. We all have our own approach, right? :blush:

If you have no evidence to back up your claims, it’s a myth. You can’t just ignore the official guidelines and go off assumptions.

10

@Terryanne
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I’m not saying the guidelines are wrong, just that in my experience, stepping away from the official route has worked for me.

11

mila said:
@Terryanne
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I’m not saying the guidelines are wrong, just that in my experience, stepping away from the official route has worked for me.

Lots of people say outbound links helped them rank. But without testing the opposite—removing those links—it’s impossible to say what really caused the improvement.

12

No, outbound links don’t add credibility. Just having a link doesn’t mean Google trusts your site more. This idea is a myth.

13

Adding proper image tags can help search engines understand what your site is about. It’s a small but useful part of improving your SEO.