IT'S NUANCED
Outbound links help SEO
LINKS
LOW Impact
BEGINNER
The Myth
"Linking out to authoritative sites boosts your own rankings."
The Truth
Outbound links don't directly boost your rankings. However, they can help indirectly: citing sources builds trust with users, helps Google understand your topic context, and can occasionally lead to reciprocal attention. Good content naturally references sources. Don't add outbound links for SEO, but don't avoid them either.
OFFICIAL
John Mueller, Google
Outbound links aren't a ranking factor. Link where it helps users.
STUDY
Reboot Online Study
Small study suggested correlation, but not confirmed by larger analysis.
DInsight from @dejanseo
"Link out when it helps users. If you cite a study, link to it. If you mention a tool, link to it. It's about being helpful, not SEO tricks."