Outbound links for SEO

[TomBristol]

A colleague of mine is arguing that having the right outbound links on your website is important for SEO. It seems to me that it would help Google and other SEs to categorize your site, but it wouldn't be a significant ranking factor in itself as anyone could do that.

This is being used as an argument to keep links on our site linking to theirs. I've not done any experiments with it, however, and the site in question is ranking fairly well currently. I just don't think that's the main ranking factor as they have fairly good backlinks as well.

Anyone have direct experience with this sort of argument?

Thanks,

Tom

[EGOL]

I believe that great websites link to other great websites.  If nobody linked out the web would not be the web.  Based upon that, I think that links to great websites get a tiny smile from google.

Each day I add a few links from my website to other websites.  The requirement that these other websites must meet to get the link is that they must in someway be distinctly superior to my website.  I only link up, never down.

I am telling my visitors... HEY! LOOK AT THIS!   If I think that my visitors are going to ask... "Why did he link to this?  Then, no way will I place a link.  Could not pay me.  Because I want to send my visitors to great stuff - better than mine.

Generally, I find, if someone is arguing with me about something, I don't do it.

So, do these guys have something awesome, kickass or wonderful that is distinctly better than mine.  If they don't then drop the link to their site and find something better.   When they ask WTF?  Just tell 'em that you link up to better stuff.

[TomBristol]

That's an excellent philosophy. Thanks for the great answer.

[KeriMorgret]

EGOL makes good points here. I've seen the opposite happen, too. An SEO firm links to the Wikipedia definition of website, and I can only assume it's meant to show the search engines that they link to authoritative sites. However, it really doesn't fit in the context of the site, and makes things appear very odd.