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Rubric signal citation-density

Citation density

Inline citations per 1000 words (target ≥2).

Class
Authority
Source
GEO paper §4.2

Why it matters for AI citation

Pages that cite sources get cited as sources. Citation density is the strongest non-link authority signal.

How to fix it

Replace 'studies show' with 'a 2024 Stanford study (link)'. Specificity wins.

About the Authority class

Whether your page reads as authored by an expert, citing real sources. Bylines, citations, statistics, quotations, freshness, technical terms.

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