Citing authoritative sources is a key trust signal for E-E-A-T, demonstrating that your content is well-researched and grounded in verifiable information.
Quick Reference
- Link to reputable, high-authority websites to validate factual claims, data, or quotes
- Ensure citations are highly relevant and provide extra value to the reader
- Use descriptive anchor text when linking to external research, studies, or official sources
Check
Review the content for any factual claims that should be backed up with a link to an authoritative source.
Fix
Add external links to reputable websites (e.g., .gov, .edu, or industry leaders) to support your data points.
Explain
Explain how citing external sources contributes to the 'Trustworthiness' pillar of Google's E-E-A-T framework.
Code Review
Review metadata generation, rendered HTML, structured data, and response headers related to Cite authoritative external sources. Flag exact routes or templates where search-facing output violates the rule, and describe how to verify the final page output.
For full implementation details, code examples, and framework-specific guidance,
see references/rule.md.
Rule page: https://frontendchecklist.io/en/rules/seo/citations