Here are nine do’s and don’ts of hyperlinking to external sites:
1. Never link for cash/kind
You should never agree to hyperlink to a website in return for cash or any other commercial consideration. This includes the request to provide a link in return. Reason: you are doing a great disservice to your reader. He trusts you; and will click on the hyperlink to obtain more relevant information. He would end up feeling cheated if he finds that you have sent him to a worthless web page.
2. Link when it adds to user information
A key function of hyperlinks is to help user obtain relevant information. This can be another point of view on a subject; it can be background information or useful chronology. For instance, it makes sense to hyperlink an article on blood pressure to a medical site that provides tips to reduce hypertension.
3. Avoid hyperlinks to subscription sites
There are plenty of academic sites on the net that provide invaluable information. But these sites are open only to members. When you send a visitor to such sites, the visitor may be disillusioned. He has either to become a member or pay a browsing fee that he may not want. So, you must avoid linking to such websites irrespective of their merit.
4. Be skeptical of opinion sites
There are several sites on the web that provide opinion. One should be careful while hyperlinking to such websites, especially if the opinions lean towards rabble rousing. There is no harm to connect to sites like Huffingtonpost.com or FirstPost.com. You get to read stimulating views on various subjects. But the same cannot be said about religious sites where only one-sided views are propagated. You should ignroe sites that promote racial or religious hatred.
5. Try to provide variety
You should not limit your website’s hyperlinks to one source. It is instructive for readers to browse content written from different perspectives. For instance, an issue related to carbon emissions may find different treatment in newspapers that are published in developed countries as compared to the newspapers published in developing countries.
6. Be topical and current in hyperlinking
The best content is that which is relevant today. There is no point in hyperlinking to content that is outdated. You must direct readers to content that is fresh, topical and published by organisations that are reputable and trusted.
7. Give users an opportunity to protest
You must encourage users to flag broken links, stale links or links that are inappropriate. This will reduce the pressure on you to constantly review third party links. Your browsers will alert you whenever they come across unworthy links.
8. When to link to user-generated comment
Political parties and causes whip up passions, which often reflect one point of view. Should you connect to them? You should as long as the user generated comment is adding valuable information to the national debate.
9. Don’t give undue prominence to commercial sites
You must avoid hyperlinking to sites that are selling products, tickets or other promotional items. The exception is national and international events like World Cup soccer. Here, timely information can help fans buy tickets
A great resource to learn about linking to external sites is BBC guidelines on Links and Feeds.