Learn how to add outbound links to your blog without any coding skills. This beginner-friendly guide covers step-by-step instructions for WordPress and Elementor users to enhance SEO and user experience.
Let’s be honest—when you’re trying to grow your blog, everyone online throws terms like “on-page SEO,” “do-follow,” “open in new tab,” and “nofollow” at you like you should’ve been born understanding HTML. But what if you’re just trying to link to a helpful recipe, product, or article you love—without feeling like you’re defusing a bomb?
Welcome to the non-techie guide you wish you had from day one.
In this post, I’m walking you through exactly how to add outbound links to your blog posts—even if you know nothing about coding. I’ll also share a small moment from my own blogging experience where I hit a weird roadblock (and fixed it without breaking the whole page).
First Things First: What Is an Outbound Link?
If you’ve ever added a link to someone else’s website inside your blog post, you’ve already used an outbound link. These are links that take your readers away from your site, usually to share useful content, source information, or recommend something.
Example:
Try this Easy Vegan Fried Rice recipe by Minimalist Baker – perfect if you’re looking for a plant-based meal idea.
Outbound links show your readers (and Google) that you’re part of the bigger conversation online. They build trust, improve SEO, and help your audience get even more value from your content.
But Here’s What Happens When You Try to Add One…
I was editing one of my recipe blogs in WordPress with Elementor. I wanted to link to a delicious vegan fried rice recipe from Minimalist Baker. Simple enough, right?
I added the link using Elementor’s text editor… but then something weird happened.
When I switched to the HTML view, I noticed not one, not two—but three tiny <a> tags wrapping my anchor text.
It looked like this:
htmlCopyEdit<a href="...">Easy</a><a href="...">Vegan</a><a href="...">Fried Rice</a>
I’m not gonna lie—I had a moment of “What the hell is this?”
Should I delete all of them? Will that break the formatting? Do I need to know how to code now just to clean this up?
The No-Code Fix That Worked
After taking a breath (and a sip of black coffee), I decided to simplify everything.
I deleted the extra tags and replaced the whole block with this single clean line:
htmlCopyEdit<p>Try this <a href="https://minimalistbaker.com/easy-vegan-fried-rice" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Easy Vegan Fried Rice</a>.</p>
That’s it. No plugins. No custom scripts. Just one clean link that:
- Opens in a new tab
- Keeps my site safe and secure
- Is SEO-friendly with
rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer"
What Do These Attributes Even Mean?
Before we move on, here’s a quick breakdown of what’s actually inside that <a> tag:
target="_blank"– Opens the link in a new browser tab (so your reader doesn’t leave your blog).rel="nofollow"– Tells Google not to pass SEO juice to the linked site. Good practice for affiliate or sponsored content.noopener noreferrer"– Adds security and privacy when opening new tabs. Especially important when linking outside your site.
So… How Do You Add a Link Without Knowing HTML?
Here’s your non-technical roadmap, step by step:
✅ If You’re Using WordPress Block Editor (Gutenberg):
Highlight the text you want to link.
Click the link icon 🔗 in the toolbar.
Paste the URL.
Toggle on “Open in new tab.”
If needed, click the gear icon to add nofollow under “Advanced” or manually switch to HTML view and insert rel="nofollow".
✅ If You’re Using Elementor (like I was):
Use a Text Editor widget.
Highlight the anchor text.
Click the link icon and paste your URL.
Click the gear icon next to the link to open more settings.
Toggle on “Open in new window.”
In the Rel field, type:nofollow noopener noreferrer
Done!
✅ If You’re Not Using Elementor or Block Editor:
You can still copy and paste this example into your editor’s HTML or “Text” mode:
htmlCopyEdit<p>Check out this <a href="https://example.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">awesome resource</a>.</p>
Then just update the link and text with your own.
But Do You Need Nofollow Every Time?
Nope. Use nofollow only when:
- You’re linking to an affiliate or sponsored product.
- The website is not trustworthy.
- You’re sharing a promotional link.
If you’re simply linking to a helpful blog (like Minimalist Baker’s recipe), it’s totally fine to use a normal link—but adding nofollow won’t hurt.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Forgetting to open in a new tab – This keeps readers from accidentally leaving your site.
Adding too many tags – One clean link is better than three broken ones.
Overusing nofollow – It’s not needed for every link.
Linking to spammy sites – Even with nofollow, avoid this.
Final Thoughts from a Non-Tech Blogger
There’s this myth that bloggers need to be part writer, part coder, part digital marketing wizard. But really, most of us are figuring it out as we go—learning how to format a link cleanly without burning the whole blog down.
If you’ve ever felt stuck with a “simple” thing like a link, I get it. I’ve been there.
But the moment you understand how to control something like this—even a tiny <a> tag—it’s one more step toward owning your space online, confidently.
Your Turn
The next time you’re writing a blog post and want to add a great external link:
- Think about the value it adds.
- Use a clean, well-formatted link.
- And don’t stress the code—you’ve got this.
If this helped you, share it with another blogger who’s tired of Googling “what the hell is a nofollow link?” 😄
Or leave a comment below and tell me what you struggled with while setting up links—I’ll answer every one 💛
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How to Add Outbound Links to Your Blog Without Coding
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