Linking to your sources: Crawl Audit check 191

Short answer: when you state a fact, a figure or a rule, linking to where it comes from lets readers check it. Check 191 is informational and always passes: it counts links to other websites and, if there are none, reminds you to add sources.

What Crawl Audit checks

• Pass: always. The report shows how many links point to other domains.

It counts any outside link, including social profiles, so a high number doesn't mean your claims are sourced. The catalogue mentions link validity; broken links are covered by the link checks in the technical SEO section.

What Google says

• One of its self-assessment questions: "Does the content present information in a way that makes you want to trust it, such as clear sourcing, evidence of the expertise involved..."
• "...links can also add value by connecting users (and Google) to another resource that corroborates what you're writing about."
• And a limit: "Attribution or giving credit to other sources doesn't replace the need for original effort."

None of this says outbound links lift your rankings. They're for the reader's trust.

Doing it well

• Link the first time you use a statistic, quote or legal requirement.
• Prefer the original source (the study, the regulator, the standard) over a blog that repeats it.
• Add your own view or experience on top. That's the part only you can offer.

On devmarde.com

Our homepage had 18 links to other sites on 6 October. Each of these explainers ends with its sources.

Sources

• Google Search Central, Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content (updated 5 October 2026) and SEO Starter Guide, checked 6 October 2026.