diff --git a/packages/gatsby-plugin-google-gtag/src/index.js b/packages/gatsby-plugin-google-gtag/src/index.js
index 8be786d406d73..455ba289465c6 100644
--- a/packages/gatsby-plugin-google-gtag/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/gatsby-plugin-google-gtag/src/index.js
@@ -1,50 +1,51 @@
 import React from "react"
 import PropTypes from "prop-types"
 
-function OutboundLink(props) {
-  return (
-    <a
-      {...props}
-      onClick={e => {
-        if (typeof props.onClick === `function`) {
-          props.onClick(e)
-        }
-        let redirect = true
-        if (
-          e.button !== 0 ||
-          e.altKey ||
-          e.ctrlKey ||
-          e.metaKey ||
-          e.shiftKey ||
-          e.defaultPrevented
-        ) {
-          redirect = false
-        }
-        if (props.target && props.target.toLowerCase() !== `_self`) {
-          redirect = false
-        }
-        if (window.gtag) {
-          window.gtag(`event`, `click`, {
-            event_category: `outbound`,
-            event_label: props.href,
-            transport_type: redirect ? `beacon` : ``,
-            event_callback: function() {
-              if (redirect) {
-                document.location = props.href
-              }
-            },
-          })
-        } else {
-          if (redirect) {
-            document.location = props.href
-          }
+const OutboundLink = React.forwardRef(({ children, ...props }, ref) => (
+  <a
+    ref={ref}
+    {...props}
+    onClick={e => {
+      if (typeof props.onClick === `function`) {
+        props.onClick(e)
+      }
+      let redirect = true
+      if (
+        e.button !== 0 ||
+        e.altKey ||
+        e.ctrlKey ||
+        e.metaKey ||
+        e.shiftKey ||
+        e.defaultPrevented
+      ) {
+        redirect = false
+      }
+      if (props.target && props.target.toLowerCase() !== `_self`) {
+        redirect = false
+      }
+      if (window.gtag) {
+        window.gtag(`event`, `click`, {
+          event_category: `outbound`,
+          event_label: props.href,
+          transport_type: redirect ? `beacon` : ``,
+          event_callback: function() {
+            if (redirect) {
+              document.location = props.href
+            }
+          },
+        })
+      } else {
+        if (redirect) {
+          document.location = props.href
         }
+      }
 
-        return false
-      }}
-    />
-  )
-}
+      return false
+    }}
+  >
+    {children}
+  </a>
+))
 
 OutboundLink.propTypes = {
   href: PropTypes.string,