Below is a paired comparison of Google Position 1 websites using set of competitive keywords versus Google Position 100 websites using the same set of keywords as the top ranked sites. We then subjectively assess the degree of relevance of their external links to other domains. We also gathered data such as number of external links on the ranking page as well as the page rank of those external linked pages..

Results:

Based on these results, it is clear that Top ranked sites are linking out to a highly relevant sites while sites in the lower ranking positions are not using external linking relevance in outbound links. Also page rank of the external linking page is not even factor as bottom ranked pages PR even shows a higher page rank average compared to the Top ranked sites. It means that regardless of page rank, Google will give your site some ranking benefits if you linked out to a highly relevant pages or domain.

The number of external links of the ranking page of both Top ranked sites and bottom ranked sites are comparable (less than 10).

Tips:

1. . Double check those sites that your domain is linking out, and make sure all those domains are highly related to your site. If not, you can either remove the link or place a rel=”nofollow” attribute of the link. You can use the Xenu sleuth to scan all external links on your domain.

2. Careful of setting up link pool pages, partner pages or resource pages in your site, it can penalize your site if you are linking excessively to unrelated domains or domains that are banned or penalized in Google.

3. Aim for the best related external link you can select, remember you have full control of this ranking factor unlike inbound links.

4. Make sure you have enough of these external links pointing to other highly related domains because your site visitor might not found the information in your site and will look for related resources.