aeo
How to fix: Outbound links to authoritative sources
Why this matters
AI engines evaluate sourcing quality when deciding what to cite. Pages that link to authoritative sources (gov, .edu, established publications, RFCs) score higher for trustworthiness. The signal is as much about *how you source* as it is about your content.
Background
AI engines evaluate sourcing quality when deciding what to cite. Pages that link to authoritative sources (gov, .edu, established publications, RFCs) score higher for trustworthiness. The signal is as much about *how you source* as it is about your content.
References
Google E-E-A-T · Citation quality analysis
How to fix
Code snippet for each stack we cover. Pick the one matching your server / framework.
nginx
No server config — content edit.
apache
Same.
cloudflare
Same.
wordpress
When you cite a fact or standard, link to the original source: gov sites, .edu papers, RFCs, NIST, W3C, WHO, ECDC, etc.
flask
Same — content discipline.
express
Same.
rails
Same.
Verify it's working
Count outbound links to authoritative domains on the page. At least 1-2 per content-heavy page.
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