Key Takeaways
Linking to popular sites like Wikipedia does not help websites rank higher in Google searches.
Focus on giving helpful links for users, not just linking to big sites.
Link quality and relevance matter more than linking to well-known sites.
Google's John Mueller recently talked to the SEO community on Reddit. He cleared up a common misunderstanding.
He said linking to popular sites like Wikipedia does not directly help a website's search rankings.
Nothing happens. Why should it? This has been one of those things that SEOs have claimed / hoped since literally decades.
"Here's my affiliate site about handbags - and here's a link to CNN & Wikipedia, please take me seriously now, k?"
Some SEOs have long believed linking to established sites would boost a website's authority and improve rankings.
However, Mueller's statement shows this is a myth. Just linking to authoritative sites alone will not lead to higher rankings.
Mueller stressed focusing on useful links that truly help users. When a link adds value by giving relevant, additional information, it becomes valuable.
But linking just for a site's authority and rankings is not recommended.
The discussion reminds SEOs and website owners to prioritize link quality and relevance. Instead of seeking links only for the linked site's authority, they should aim to offer value to users.
Websites with high-quality, valuable, user-friendly content are more likely to see positive SEO results.