Glossary
Citation (AI Search)
A citation in AI search is the attributed link an engine attaches to a claim inside its answer, crediting the source the statement came from. Citation is stronger than a passing mention because it is verifiable and clickable, and weaker than a recommendation because it credits a fact rather than endorsing you.
In plain terms
Being cited means the engine used your page as evidence. It does not mean the engine told the buyer to hire you.
Why it matters for B2B
Citations are the clearest signal that your content is inside the retrieval set for a question. They are also the only part of an AI answer that reliably sends traffic.
How to apply it
- Publish original data, definitions and figures — these are what engines quote.
- Keep claims short and self-contained so they can be lifted without surrounding context.
- Track which specific URLs are cited, not just whether the brand appeared.
Related reading
Related terms
Back to the full glossary (25 terms).
Ranking is no longer enough
You need to be cited, mentioned, and recommended.
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