Is it bad to insert links to other sites and use bold on keywords?

[Andarilho]

Hi,

This is a question I always had doubt about, and would be very grateful in to know your opinions. Is it bad to link to other sites? Can this causes problems to my blog?

I frequently insert links in keywords, etc, for other sites. Many times, for sites greater than mine, and I heard from some people that this is bad. Is this correct?

In last days, I have used, in some links, the atribute "nofollow". This is good, or not? In a case, for example, when linking to Wikipedia, is it good to use "nofollow"?

And about keywords: I'm mostly using bold on them. Is it good, or not?

This subject always makes me think. I would be very grateful for any help.

[Andarilho]

Very good, Dr. Peter.

Thanks for your explanation. I think I am now beginning to understand.

[Andarilho]

Very good, Dr. Peter.

Thanks for your explanation. I think I am now beginning to understand.

[Dr-Pete]

Marisa's right - we're seeing evidence that trusted outbound links can actually help a site, not harm it. Nofollow really came out of problems where sites had a lot of links they couldn't vouch for. For example, if you have a blog that allows comments and 100s of people comment, you can't tell if all of those links to their sites are legit, relevant, etc. So, you'd add nofollow to say "I can't vouch for this link" (that was the original intent, anyway). When you've chosen the resource and it's relevant to your site, let Google follow it.

[Andarilho]

Hi Marisa, Thanks again for your help. I understood.

[UnderRugSwept]

Is it good, but don't overdo it. There is such a thing as over-optimization. Don't bold every single instance of a keyword. Just to it once per keyword per page. And most important, only do it when it seems relevant. Remember, you're designing for humans, not bots. If it bolding a keyword in a certain spot would leave your audience scratching their heads, I'd think twice.

And while you're at it, don't have too many instances of the same keyword on a page. That does more harm than good. Once again, think about your audience and what sounds natural.

Also, it's OK to nofollow links to lower quality sites; it's probably even best. It's really up to your judgement. After reading that SEOmoz post, I think you'll be able to determine when to use nofollow and when not to.

[Andarilho]

Hello Marisa,

Thanks for the information and for sharing the post.

So, I was doing wrong when putting "nofollow" when linking to greater sites. I always done a lot of confusion with linking and "nofollow".

And, regarding using bold text on keywords: is it good?

[UnderRugSwept]

There was recently a blog post on SEOmoz that actually shows the value out outbound linking in blog posts.

http://www.seomoz.org/blog/5-reasons-you-should-link-out-to-others-from-your-website

But contrary to what some may say, it is a good thing. Especially if you are linking to high-quality sites such as Wikipedia, it shows Google that your blog posts are informative and helpful.