How important is it to keep your knees out when squatting?

very.

For beginners I like to stick 5 pound plates under their heels. Helps force the proper stance.

Also, try different leg stances. Not everyone is the same. You may be better off wiht a wider stance than a narrow stance.

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How much of a negative is this for squatting?

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Bad. You almost can't hurt yourself if your knees flare/buckle outwards - you WILL experience an injury if your knees continue to move inward.

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If it is negative, are there solid ways to correct this beyond just concentrating on pushing them out?

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This is what I did: take a slightly wider than shoulder width stance and rotate the toes outward - maybe 30 degrees or so. Think of pressing downward with the feet(ETA: specifically the heels - visualize forcing your feet through the floor) and transfer the weight upwards from the hamstrings, quads and hips - have the knees follow the weight up, instead of focusing on the knees forcing the weight up.

If you still have problems with this method, I recommend doing box squats and having the toes/knees at 90 degrees from each other.

Get stronger and work on your form with a lighter weight. It should come. How tall are you?

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Not necessarily important to keep them "out," but any caving in can be very problematic.

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this. At a minimum they should be goign forward.

Honestly, find someone at the gym who does them well and ask them to watch you. I'm sure they'd be more than happy to help.

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^^About that important

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Is your stance too wide?

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I don't see a wide stance as a problem with the bucklers - it's typically a too narrow or feet parallel/turned in types.

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I'd work on my outer hip/piriformis mobility and see if that helps.

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This is good advice, too - hip mobility/flexibility often limits both proper form and maximum strength in the squat.

Also, if you can find some time to do some single-leg work, it might shine a light on your potential issues.

For instance, if you do step-ups with decently heavy DB's (and don't push off with your back leg), does your knee try to cave inward?

Same thing with lunges.

I'm not necessarily suggesting you add these to your routine (though they can help if you lack glute strength), but they can help illuminate any issues.

Pushing from my heels and not my toes helped keep my knees out. You have to practice good form or your knees will get sore and that's bad sign.

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How tall are you?

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5'11"