GEO Basics
What does it mean to be 'cited' by an LLM?
Updated January 12, 2026GEO Expert Team
Summary
A citation is when the AI system includes your brand or page as a referenced source—via a link, footnote, or 'Sources' panel. Some systems cite more consistently than others; Perplexity is explicitly source-forward with numbered citations.
Detailed Answer
A citation is when the system includes your brand/page as a referenced source (link, footnote, or "Sources" panel). Some systems cite more consistently than others (Perplexity is explicitly source-forward).
Types of AI citations:
1. Direct links: Hyperlinked sources in the response
2. Footnote citations: Numbered references with source list
3. Sources panel: Separate panel listing referenced pages
4. Brand mentions: Named without explicit link
Citation-heavy platforms:
- Perplexity (most transparent)
- ChatGPT search (improving)
- Google AI Overviews (contextual)
citationsllmvisibility