External authoritative sources are cited
One of 40 checks the scanner runs. This one is worth 3 points inside the Citability & Evidence dimension, which carries 11% of the total score.
What does this check look at?
The page links to at least 2 external hosts on the authority list: arxiv.org, doi.org, nature.com, science.org, acm.org, ieee.org, springer.com, sciencedirect.com, any .gov or .edu host, wikipedia.org, github.com, developer.mozilla.org, web.dev, nih.gov, who.int or europa.eu. Own-domain links are excluded.
How do I fix it?
- Partial pass: Citing several independent authoritative sources is strongly associated with being cited in turn.
- Cite the primary sources behind your claims and link to them.
Why is it worth 3 points?
Points are relative weights inside a dimension, and a dimension's weight decides how much of the total it can move. The reasoning for this dimension's weight is published rather than asserted:
| Dimension | Citability & Evidence — 11% of the total score |
| Points for this check | 3 of 11 in this dimension |
| Worth at most | 3.0 of the 100 points |
High and research-driven: this is the dimension most directly tied to measured visibility gains.
What else is measured in this dimension?
- Quantified claims are present — 4 points
- Direct quotations are present — 3 points
- Canonical URL is declared — 1 point
How do I see my own result?
Run a scan on your own domain. The report lists every failed check with the evidence that produced it, so you can tell a real failure from a check that does not apply.
Run a free GEO audit on your own site →
The full method, including the dimensions that are deliberately weighted low and the parts of the picture a single-URL scan cannot see, is on the methodology page.