Should I add links to external informational sites?
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2011 eanking factors survey finds acorrelation: those sites that contain outbound links are tending to rank better: http://www.seomoz.org/article/search-ranking-factors#metrics-5. It further more states somewhere (maybe in the video, I could not find) that linkig to Microsoft may bring better results, while linking to some other big company (exact company name is there you can look for it) triggered a fallback in rankings.
So linking to quality content by itself may should not cause a fallback.
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In fact, NOT linking out and hoarding your PR/link juice could actually hurt you instead.
I don't have any proof that this is true but this is what I believe.... I believe that if you do lose linkjuice by linking out you receive instead an optimization bonus for linking out that is proportional to the value that would be delivered by a link from the target site back to yours. This is why I regularly link out to sites that are much better than mine.
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Sorry, I noticed later that you have above the fold buy noe button as well.
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Yes. So you adapt the content and you are able to place those buy now buttons that you have on your home page for example. if user goes off your page than he may be just wandering around, reading the content, than starting another search for surety bonds. Don't misunderstand me, I don't say that exactly this will happen for sure, but you give a chance for it to happen.
In our short term memory we can deal with 5-6 infos at a time. Your page is one. the content of the new page is the second. The environment the user sits in adds the third and maybe the forth. Changing channel on the webradio while reading: fifth. So I am trying to make you see that if short term memory is overload than you may be getting off the original path you came from. This is human nature and psychology: you can't hold everything i mind. You give user the CHANCE to go away.
I would not give a chance by publishing the same content on my site and placing the buy now conversion buttons so that you offer users the next step to take to become a customer.
Back to your main page: I would place that Buy now button a bit higher. I have once read a survey that states that around 80% of clicks on a website happen above the fold. I could not fond that for you but here is a comparison for you between above the fold and below the fold advertisements: http://emediavitals.com/content/improving-ad-performance-above-fold-repetition-brings-more-clicks. Above the fold is absolute winner.
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"Links to external sites would cause me to lose out on link juice and would hurt me in google's eyes."
That may be the case back in 2001 but not so much anymore. In fact, NOT linking out and hoarding your PR/link juice could actually hurt you instead.
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Thanks for your input. You are of the same mindset as me. I just want to make sure i'm not nuts for thinking this. Someone in my office said that placing links to external sites would cause me to lose out on link juice and would hurt me in google's eyes.
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I created the links so that they always open in a new window. That was my attempt at keeping the user from forgetting where they came from. I'm not fully understanding your comment on conversion points and adapting the content to my site. Are you suggesting I have all content on my page vs. sending them away from the site?
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Maybe I would adapt the content to my site so that the user is still able to read it, but you are able to add conversion points that lead the users back to your conversion channel. If user leaves your site can find another intresting link on government site than click through than not knowing where he came from. As far as the content is on your page you can control where the user is able to click from a specific page.
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Well, you said it "Either way, in my mind, it's useful to the user and that trumps everything"
Optimize for the end-user, and the rest will fall into place. Don't be scared to link out if it's useful information for your user.
These days, nobody wants to link out to anybody. It's ridiculous. The internet is supposed to be a complete world of information, but every site on the net wants to keep everything to themselves.
I've come across articles in the past about how Bing takes this into consideration. They share the same ideology as you in that your website should be a 'one-stop shop' for the user.
And there's sure nothing wrong with linking to any government agencies as their content is usually 100% legit and accurate. Nothing to worry about there.
Go for it.
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