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Glossary of terms

Citation

Visibility in AI
A citation is a situation in which an AI model refers to a specific source when generating a response. In Aelo reports, we count these separately from mentions, as a brand is sometimes mentioned by name but never cited.
Last updated: 7 September 2026
What does that mean?

Citation versus mention

These are two different things and the terms most commonly confused in reports. A ‘mention’ means that the model has named the brand. A ‘citation’ means that they have referred to a specific page.
Mention

„Brands A, B and C, amongst others, operate in this category.”

The model mentions the name. She doesn’t say how she knows it.

Citation

„According to the guide on the marka-a.pl website, there are three things to bear in mind when making a choice…”

The model identifies the source. This source builds trust and generates traffic.

A brand may have a high share of mentions and a zero citation rate. This means that the model is aware of it from other websites: from rankings, reviews and publications. The opposite situation also occurs, albeit less frequently: the website is cited as a source of information about the category, whilst the brand itself does not feature amongst the recommendations.
Authority is built through content that can be quoted: specific details, data and the answer in the first paragraph. This is the area described as AEO.
In the product

Where can you see this in Aelo?

Where can you find citations in Aelo?
The Citation Tile in the Visibility module The proportion of responses in which the model references your domain, along with the change between scans.
List of domains in this category Which websites does the model cite most often when asked about your category? These are usually lists and rankings, not company websites.
GEO and AEO audit Assessing whether your content is even suitable for quotation: structure, specificity, and providing the answer right at the start.
We describe the method for calculating the citation index in methodology, and the module itself on the page Visibility.
FAQ

Questions about citations

The questions most frequently asked in connection with this concept.
What is the difference between a citation and a reference?

A mention is when a brand name is mentioned in a reply. A citation is when a model refers to a specific source, such as your domain. A brand may be mentioned but never cited.

How can you increase the number of citations?

When writing content from which a ready-made answer can be extracted: be specific rather than vague; provide the answer in the first paragraph; include facts and conditions. We’ll go into this in more detail in the article What is an AEO?.

Does a citation mean traffic to the website?

Sometimes this is the case, as some models provide a link to the source. Not always, however, as the user may simply settle for the answer. That is why we measure citations separately from traffic.

Where can you see citations in Aelo?

In the 'Citations' tile in the module Visibility, along with a list of domains cited in your category. We describe the method of calculation in methodology.

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