Outbound Link
A hyperlink on your website pointing to a page on a different website.
Definition
An outbound link (also called an external link) is a hyperlink on your web page that points to a different domain. It is the opposite of an inbound link (backlink), which comes from another domain to yours. Outbound links to reputable, relevant sources add credibility to your content and signal to Google that your page is part of a well-connected web of information.
Why It Matters
Outbound links serve both readers and search engines. For readers, they provide access to primary sources, additional context, and related resources. For SEO, linking to high-authority relevant sites signals that your content is part of a credible information ecosystem. Contrary to a common myth, linking out to quality sources does not harm your own SEO — it generally helps it by improving the overall quality signal of the page.