Glossary
Citation source
Also: Cited source · Grounding source
Why citation sources matter
When a generative model answers a category question, it weighs how many trustworthy sources have named each candidate brand and what those sources say. A brand mentioned in two industry guides and a Forrester report is far more likely to be named than one mentioned only on its own pricing page. Citation sources are the modern equivalent of backlinks — the currency models use to calibrate confidence.
How to influence them
The actionable artifact of a Share-of-Model audit is the list of domains a model cites when discussing your category, and your gap on each. Influencing that list is a PR-and-partnerships motion: guest posts, product reviews, expert quotes, podcast appearances — earned placements on the specific domains the model already trusts.