Citation
When an AI assistant links to your website as a source in its response.
A citation in AI visibility is when an AI assistant includes a link to your website or content as a reference in its response. This is common in AI systems that use real-time retrieval, like Perplexity.
Citations are valuable because:
- They drive actual traffic to your site (unlike zero-click mentions)
- They signal authority to the AI system
- They can lead to conversions from high-intent users
- They build your reputation as a trusted source
To earn more citations:
- Create comprehensive, authoritative content
- Include unique data, research, or insights
- Structure content so AI can easily extract and attribute information
- Ensure your site is accessible to AI crawlers
- Build topical authority in your domain
Not all AI systems provide citations. Some (like ChatGPT without browsing) only mention brands without linking. Citation tracking is most relevant for retrieval-augmented systems.
Related Terms
AI Visibility
How often and how prominently your brand appears in AI-generated responses and recommendations.
AI Crawler
Bots that AI companies use to index web content for training data or real-time retrieval.
Zero-Click Search
When users get their answer directly from AI without clicking through to any website.