Citations
Track which sources AI models reference when discussing your brand.
Citations show you which websites and sources AI models cite when generating responses about your brand and industry.
Why Citations Matter
AI models like Perplexity and Google AI Overviews directly cite their sources. Even models without explicit citations (like ChatGPT) are influenced by their training data from web sources.
Understanding citations helps you:
- Identify influential sources that shape AI responses
- Discover content gaps where competitors have better coverage
- Find link building opportunities with authoritative sites
- Track your own content's reach across AI platforms
Viewing Citations
Navigate to Citations in the sidebar to see all sources referenced in AI responses.
Citation List
Each citation entry shows:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Domain | The website that was cited |
| Page | Specific URL if available |
| Channel | Which AI platform cited this source |
| Response | Link to the full AI response |
| Topic | Which monitor captured this citation |
Summary Metrics
At the top of the Citations page, you'll see:
- Total citations: Number of source references captured
- Unique domains: How many different websites were cited
- Your domain citations: Times your website was referenced
- Top sources: Most frequently cited domains
Filtering Citations
Use filters to analyze specific citation patterns:
| Filter | Description |
|---|---|
| Date range | Show citations from a specific time period |
| Channel | Filter by AI platform (Perplexity typically has most citations) |
| Domain | Search for specific websites |
| Topic | Show citations from specific monitors |
| Hide brand domains | Exclude your own website from results |
Analyzing Citation Data
Identify authority sources
Look for domains that appear repeatedly across multiple responses:
- Industry publications (TechCrunch, Forbes, etc.)
- Review sites (G2, Capterra, TrustRadius)
- Comparison sites (vs-competitors.com, alternativeto.net)
- Blogs and content sites
These are the sources AI models trust. Getting featured on them can improve your AI visibility.
Track your own presence
Filter to show only your domain. You'll see:
- Which pages AI models cite most often
- What prompts trigger citations to your content
- How your citation frequency compares to competitors
Discover competitor sources
Look for sources that cite competitors but not you:
- Filter citations to show competitor domains
- Note which external sites link to them
- Consider similar content or outreach for those sources
Improving Your Citations
Create linkable content
AI models cite sources that directly answer user questions:
- Comprehensive comparison guides
- Industry benchmark reports
- Product documentation
- Customer case studies
Target authoritative publications
Get featured in sources AI models trust:
- Guest posts on industry blogs
- Interviews with trade publications
- Inclusion in "best of" lists
- Product reviews on G2, Capterra
Optimize existing content
Ensure your content is easy for AI to understand:
- Clear, structured headings
- Direct answers to common questions
- Up-to-date information
- Proper schema markup
Build topical authority
Create content clusters around your core topics:
- Pillar pages for main categories
- Supporting articles for subtopics
- Internal linking between related content
Citation Channels
Different AI platforms handle citations differently:
Perplexity
- Most citation-heavy platform
- Displays sources prominently
- Often cites 5-10 sources per response
Google AI Overviews
- Shows sources in search results
- Prioritizes authoritative domains
- Increasingly important for SEO
ChatGPT
- Doesn't show inline citations (usually)
- Influenced by training data sources
- Web browsing mode may cite sources
Claude
- Minimal inline citations
- Knowledge from training data
- May reference well-known sources
Perplexity provides the richest citation data. Prioritize monitoring this channel if citations are a key focus.