I am a web designer. I am designing a website for a client I am doing the designing part and he has also consulting a professional SEO. My client's website is a consultant and has many fortune 500 clients, his SEO is of the opinion that out going links are very important as they show google that your site is very useful as a resource... it isn't JUST about selling stuff... it is about helping the vistiors. HE thinks this wil be increasingly important.
Is he correct? As far as I know incoming links matter the most.
