Sources & Citations
The Sources tab reveals which websites and information sources AI platforms reference when discussing your brand and category. This is critical intelligence — the sources AI trusts directly shape what it tells users about you.
Why Sources Matter
AI platforms don't generate opinions from nothing. They synthesize information from their training data and (in some cases) real-time web searches. The sources they cite reveal:
- Which publications influence AI recommendations in your category
- Where competitors have coverage that you don't
- Which source types (editorial, corporate, UGC) carry the most weight
- How concentrated the AI's information sources are
Cited Domains
A ranked list of all websites referenced by AI platforms in your category:
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Domain | The website (e.g., consumerreports.org, reddit.com) |
| Citation Count | How many times this domain was referenced |
| Citation Share | Percentage of total citations from this domain |
| Brands Referenced | Which brands are associated with this source |
| Source Type | Editorial, corporate, UGC, reference, or institutional |
Source Types
EYE categorizes every citation into five types:
Editorial
Independent media, review sites, and journalism.
- Examples: Consumer Reports, Wirecutter, TechRadar, Forbes
- Impact: High — AI platforms weight independent editorial sources heavily
- Strategy: Earn coverage through PR, product reviews, and expert outreach
Corporate
Brand-owned websites and official content.
- Examples: brand.com, press releases, official blogs
- Impact: Medium — AI uses these for factual accuracy but may weight them lower for recommendations
- Strategy: Ensure your website has comprehensive, accurate, structured product information
UGC (User-Generated Content)
Community discussions, reviews, and forums.
- Examples: Reddit, Amazon reviews, Quora, specialized forums
- Impact: High for sentiment — AI platforms heavily reference community opinions
- Strategy: Monitor and engage with community discussions about your brand
Reference
Knowledge bases and encyclopedias.
- Examples: Wikipedia, WebMD, Healthline
- Impact: Very high for factual claims — AI treats these as authoritative
- Strategy: Ensure your brand's Wikipedia page and relevant reference entries are accurate and up-to-date
Institutional
Professional organizations, academic sources, and regulatory bodies.
- Examples: ADA (American Dental Association), clinical studies, university research
- Impact: Very high for credibility claims — "dentist recommended" carries weight
- Strategy: Pursue professional endorsements and clinical validation
Domain Diversity Score
A metric measuring how concentrated or diverse the AI's source base is for your category.
- High diversity = AI pulls from many different sources (harder to influence, but more balanced)
- Low diversity = AI relies on just a few key sources (easier to influence by targeting those specific sources)
A low diversity score is both a risk and an opportunity. If one source accounts for 40% of citations in your category, getting featured on that source could dramatically improve your AI visibility.
Source Concentration
Identifies which domains dominate AI responses in your category. If Consumer Reports accounts for 30% of all citations, that's a critical relationship to understand.
How EYE Extracts Sources
EYE captures both:
- Explicit citations — Direct URLs or named sources in AI responses (e.g., "According to Consumer Reports...")
- Implicit references — Indirect mentions (e.g., "Clinical studies show..." or "Experts recommend...")
This dual extraction gives you a complete picture of the information ecosystem shaping AI's perception of your category.
Strategic Actions
Based on source intelligence, you can:
- Target high-impact sources — Focus PR and content efforts on the publications AI cites most
- Close source gaps — Get coverage on sources where competitors are cited but you're not
- Strengthen corporate sources — Ensure your website has the detailed product information AI needs
- Monitor UGC — Track and engage with community discussions that AI references
- Build institutional credibility — Pursue endorsements from organizations AI trusts