troels_nybo_nielsen - 10:13 pm on Dec 14, 2002 (gmt 0)

Welcome to Webmasterworld, Crizzie.

Very few people outside Google know for sure if outbound links improve the PR, but some of us suspect that it does, because our own experiences point in that direction. And indeed it would be logical. The idea would be that outbound links to relevant sites with good PR help to establish your own website as an authority in its field.

But apart from that you should think of your visitors before you think of the search engines. They should always have some good links to get away from a page. Sooner or later they will leave it anyway and it's best if they leave it in a positive and constructive way. So give them good and relevant links. Internal links or outbound links as best you can. Links that lead them to answers to those questions that are raised in their minds by reading your page. The better you treat your visitors the more of them will return.

You should only link back to those other website if these links are relevant for your visitors. (Or if you have promised the other webmasters to do so!)

No one can promise you for sure when you will get a PR. You may hope to have one at the next big update which might be expected in a couple of weeks.

Troels