Citation (AI answers)
Definition
In AI answers, a citation is a reference or link to a source the system used or attributed when generating a response.
Full definition
Citations in answer engines and AI Overviews are a primary way brands gain visibility without a classic organic rank. Being cited can drive referral traffic and brand trust even when the answer is shown in-product.
Earning citations typically requires authoritative, crawlable, well-structured content that matches the query and is corroborated elsewhere. Citation here is not the same as an academic bibliography entry, though the idea of attribution is similar.
See AI Visibility and AI Referral Traffic.