External Links
External links are hyperlinks that lead from a website to external domains and link to external content. In SEO, they are important for backlink building and authority, but they should lead to trustworthy sources to avoid penalties.
Outgoing links to reputable sources are not a loss, but rather a sign of quality. Someone who cites and substantiates a figure appears more credible than someone who merely asserts it. The widespread concern that this diminishes authority is, in practice, unfounded.
Two technical points are important: Paid or sponsored links need the rel=sponsored tag, user-generated content rel=ugc, otherwise it's considered buying a link. And external links should open in a new window if you don't want visitors to leave your site; for security reasons, use rel=noopener. One to three verified sources per article is a good guideline.
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