Introduction
External links are critical to an e-commerce website’s SEO, credibility, and user trust. Poor-quality or irrelevant links can damage rankings and reputation, while authoritative links enhance site trust and search visibility. At teclan, we follow a structured approach to reviewing and managing external links to maintain site integrity and maximise SEO benefits.
1. Identifying External Links on the Website
A combination of automated tools and manual checks to assess all outbound links:
Automated Tools
- Google Search Console → “Links” report to view all external links.
- Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz → Analyse link quality, spam scores, and authority metrics.
- SEO Spider → Extracts external links and flags any broken or redirected ones.
Manual Link Review
- Product Pages & Blogs → Do outbound links enhance user experience?
- Affiliate & Partner Links → Do they lead to legitimate, high-quality businesses?
- User-Generated Content → Do forums, comments, or reviews contain spammy links?
2. Evaluating the Trustworthiness of External Links
Domain Authority & Trust Score:
- Use Moz, Ahrefs, or Majestic to check DA (Domain Authority), DR (Domain Rating), and spam scores.
- High-authority domains (e.g., .gov, .edu, and trusted brands) boost credibility.
- Avoid low-quality or spammy sites with high spam scores.
Content Relevance & Quality:
- Ensure linked pages are relevant to the e-commerce website’s audience.
- Avoid misleading, clickbait, or outdated sources that could harm brand trust.
Website Security & Activity:
- Ensure linked sites use HTTPS for security.
- Check if the site is still active—avoid linking to expired or parked domains.
3. Fixing or Removing Low-Quality External Links
Update or Replace Untrustworthy Links:
- If a link points to an outdated, irrelevant, or broken page, replace it with a high-quality alternative.
Use No Follow for Low-Trust or Paid Links:
- For affiliate links, sponsored content, or links you don’t want search engines to follow, apply the “nofollow” tag.
Disavow Harmful Links (If Necessary):
- If the website has unwanted spammy backlinks, teclan submits a disavow file in Google Search Console to prevent SEO penalties.
4. Continuous Monitoring & Best Practices
To maintain link quality, utilise these ongoing strategies:
- Regular Link Audits – Monthly reviews using Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Screaming Frog.
- Manual Review of Blog & Product Links – ensuring all outbound links remain relevant & valuable.
- Limit Excessive External Links – Too many outbound links dilute page value.
- Use “Sponsored” Attribute for Paid Links – Google-compliant transparency for monetised links.
- Monitor User-Generated Content – Filtering spammy links in comments & forums.
Conclusion
By systematically reviewing and optimising external links, teclan ensures e-commerce websites maintain SEO integrity, user trust, and strong domain authority.
