Outbound Link
An outbound link is one that points from your site to another website. Linking to credible sources supports your claims and helps readers verify them. Contrary to a persistent myth, linking out does not drain your rankings in any meaningful way.
Why it matters for your rankings
The fear of linking out is one of SEO's most durable superstitions. Sites hoard links, refuse to cite sources and end up looking less credible than the pages that reference their evidence openly.
Citing authoritative sources supports the trustworthiness half of E-E-A-T and matters more as AI systems assess whether claims are grounded. It also improves the reading experience, which affects the engagement signals that do influence rankings. The genuine risks are narrow: linking to spam or hacked sites, or selling links without marking them sponsored. Both are about editorial judgement rather than link volume, and neither is a reason to avoid citing a reputable source.
How to check it on your site
Check your key pages cite sources
Statistics, claims and technical assertions should link to the original source rather than a competitor's blog.
Audit for dead outbound links
Crawl in Screaming Frog with external links enabled and filter for 4xx and 5xx responses.
Mark commercial links properly
Any affiliate or paid placement needs rel="sponsored", and links submitted by users need rel="ugc", so Google can tell editorial links from commercial ones.
Review link destinations periodically
Domains expire and change ownership. A link that was reputable three years ago may now point at spam.