What is Citation Share?

Citation Share measures the percentage of times a brand is cited or referenced when AI language models respond to relevant industry queries. It tracks not just mentions, but instances where AI explicitly attributes information or recommendations to your brand, indicating authoritative positioning in AI-generated content.

Last updated: December 5, 2025

What is Citation Share?

Citation Share measures how often AI language models cite your brand as a source or authority when generating responses. It goes beyond simple mentions to track authoritative references.

Citation Share vs Share of Voice

Share of VoiceCitation Share Any brand mentionAttributed citations "Brand X offers this""According to Brand X..." Recommendation listsSource references QuantitativeQualitative authority

Why Citation Share Matters

Authority Signal

When AI cites your brand, it signals trust and expertise

Content Validation

Citations indicate your content influences AI training/retrieval

Competitive Differentiation

High citation share positions you as industry authority

Factors Affecting Citation Share

1. Content Quality

  • Original research and data
  • Unique insights and analysis
  • Comprehensive topic coverage

    • 2. Source Authority

  • Domain authority
  • Industry recognition
  • Expert authorship

    • 3. Content Structure

  • Citable statistics
  • Clear definitions
  • Quotable statements

    • 4. Distribution

  • Presence on authoritative sites
  • Academic and research citations
  • Industry publication features

    • Improving Citation Share

    Create Citable Content

  • Publish original research
  • Develop industry reports
  • Provide unique data points

    • Build Authority Signals

  • Expert commentary and quotes
  • Industry award recognition
  • Conference presentations

    • Optimize for AI Retrieval

  • Clear, factual statements
  • Structured data markup
  • Updated timestamps

    • Measuring Citation Share

    Track these metrics:

  • Explicit citations in AI responses
  • "According to..." mentions
  • Source attribution frequency
  • Citation vs mention ratio

    • BrandVector tracks both general mentions and explicit citations across AI platforms.

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    Track Your Citation Share

    BrandVector helps you monitor and improve your AI visibility across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Grok.

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