Citation rate measures how often your brand or preferred pages are cited as sources when assistants answer target prompts.
Count answers, then calculate the rate.
For this definition, an answer counts once if it cites the selected domain.
Citation rate
Answers analyzed140
Worked example
If 18 of 140 collected answers cite your domain, its citation rate is 12.9%. Three links to that domain in one answer still count as one answer citing it.
Why it matters
- Mentions without citations can be weak, unstable, or difficult to defend internally.
- A higher citation rate usually signals more durable assistant trust.
- Citation rate helps separate brand awareness from source authority.
What to watch
- source-level share
- which pages earn citations
- whether citation gains align with commercial topics
Next reading
Source citations
Why source citations are one of the most defensible signals in AI visibility work.
Brand mentions
How to think about brand mentions in assistant answers and why mention quality matters as much as mention volume.
How to measure AI visibility
Choose a repeatable set of questions and connect each metric to the answers behind it.