Are outbound links more important than links pointing to my site?
What do they help?
Thanks

random outbound links are not really useful and could well be detrimental to rankings in future updates, However outbound relevant links can and do help in a page gaining "authority" status for any given subject

So actually outbound links can help as much or "more?" as inbound or sites linking to me? I mean sites linking to me is good too. But its best to be of similar topics?

Inbounds from relevant topic pages is good because it is more likely to bring qualified visitors. What is more useful is good anchor text where you can get it.

However outbound relevant links can and do help in a page gaining "authority" status for any given subject

Not actually. Outbound links are never going to enhance anything on the page they are on. Yes they give bonus to the page they are pointing to.

So in that case how would you account for directory pages getting a good ranking for a phrase related to the query when they are 65% - 80% outgoing links?

Ok so who is right here?

That's the thing with SEO You have to make the final descision based on your own experience eventually. You will alwasy find opposing views because nobody actually is 100% sure. We may be 98% sure based on our own observations and pass that view on to others. So I believe I am correct based on my experience and observations, and shabbirbhimani believes he is correct based on his experience and observations.

So here's a HR thread on exactly the same subject to assist you in your dilemma.

Just happened to find this in my site tracking for today.

SERP

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the anchor text pointing to the page is Breadcrumb Trail and most of the keywords in the phrase are the on-page anchor text.

Not conclusive, but it does show anchor text is also considered as on-page content.

So in that case how would you account for directory pages getting a good ranking for a phrase related to the query when they are 65% - 80% outgoing links?

Its because the links that point to them have the keyword in the anchor text. Dmoz is PR 9 and so a link to the art section of DMOZ from the home page will have advantage to the arts section and not the homepage.

That's the thing with SEO You have to make the final descision based on your own experience eventually. You will alwasy find opposing views because nobody actually is 100% sure. We may be 98% sure based on our own observations and pass that view on to others. So I believe I am correct based on my experience and observations, and shabbirbhimani believes he is correct based on his experience and observations.

Thats very true but I am not that experience in SEO and its just some of the Senior peoples post in sitepoint that has landed me up here and majority or even all of them have said what I have replied.

So your trying to show that by adding there site or linking to them if you use anchor text instead of a full link it could help ones site because it gives your site more keywords? But it also helps another site too.