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Analyzing Citations

Analyzing Citations

Section titled “Analyzing Citations”

Citation analysis is a core component of Answer Engine Optimization (AEO). It allows you to identify the specific websites and content that AI models reference when generating responses. By understanding these sources, you can develop data-driven strategies for content, PR, and SEO.

This guide explains how to use the Citations dashboard to extract actionable intelligence.

What is a Citation?

Section titled “What is a Citation?”

A citation is a source URL provided by an AI model to support the information in its response. Bourd automatically extracts, aggregates, and analyzes these citations to reveal which domains and content pieces are most influential in your market.

Accessing the Citations Page

Section titled “Accessing the Citations Page”

To access the citation analysis tools, navigate to the Citations section from the main navigation menu.

Citations Dashboard Overview

Section titled “Citations Dashboard Overview”

The Citations dashboard provides an aggregated view of all sources cited in your analysis runs. You can view this data in two ways: grouped by domain or by individual URL path.

Grouping Options

Section titled “Grouping Options”

A toggle at the top of the page allows you to switch between two views:

  • By Domain: Aggregates all citations by their root domain (e.g., forbes.com, techcrunch.com). This view is best for identifying the most influential publications and websites in your industry.
  • By Path: Shows each unique URL path that has been cited (e.g., /reviews/best-crm-software). This view is best for identifying specific articles, blog posts, and content pieces that are driving AI responses.

Analyzing by Domain

Section titled “Analyzing by Domain”

When grouped By Domain, the table shows you which websites have the most authority in the eyes of the AI models.

The key columns are:

  • Domain: The root domain of the cited source.
  • Citation Count: The total number of times this domain has been cited across all your analysis runs within the selected date range.
  • Brand Mentions: The number of times your primary brand was mentioned in responses that also cited this domain. This helps you understand which publications are positively associated with your brand.

Use this view to identify high-value targets for PR and backlinking campaigns. A domain with a high citation count is a clear signal of authority.

Analyzing by URL Path

Section titled “Analyzing by URL Path”

When grouped By Path, the table shows you which specific pieces of content are most influential.

The key columns are:

  • Path: The specific URL path of the cited article.
  • Citation Count: The total number of times this specific URL has been cited.
  • Brand Mentions: The number of times your brand was mentioned in responses citing this specific URL.

Use this view to identify content formats that perform well (e.g., “Top 10” lists, “How-to” guides) and to find specific articles to analyze for your content strategy.

Drilling into Citation Details

Section titled “Drilling into Citation Details”

To investigate a specific source, click on any row in either the Domain or Path view. This will open a detail page showing every prompt run that resulted in a citation from that source.

From this view, you can:

  • See which of your prompts are triggering citations from a particular source.
  • Click through to the full Response Details to see the citation in its original context.

Strategic Application of Citation Data

Section titled “Strategic Application of Citation Data”

Citation analysis provides a roadmap for improving your AI search visibility.

Content Strategy

Section titled “Content Strategy”
  • Identify Content Gaps: Look for URLs with high citation counts that mention your competitors but not your brand. This identifies a high-priority content gap you need to fill.
  • Find Proven Formats: Analyze the top-cited URLs. Are they listicles, in-depth guides, or product reviews? Replicate these successful formats in your own content plan.

PR and Outreach

Section titled “PR and Outreach”
  • Build a Target List: The “By Domain” view is your data-driven PR target list. Domains with high citation counts are the most influential publications to pitch for guest posts, product reviews, and features.
  • Prioritize Efforts: Focus your outreach on the top 5-10 most cited domains in your industry to maximize the impact of your PR efforts on AEO.

Competitive Intelligence

Section titled “Competitive Intelligence”
  • Reverse-Engineer Success: Filter citations by those that mention a specific competitor. This shows you their content and PR strategy—which publications they are targeting and what content is earning them citations.
  • Identify Competitor Weaknesses: Find topics where you are cited but your competitors are not. This is a content area where you have an established advantage to defend and expand upon.

Permissions

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  • Required Role: Admin, Owner, or Member.
  • All users within a workspace can view the Citations dashboard.

Troubleshooting

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  • My Domain Isn’t Cited: This is common, especially when first starting. It indicates an opportunity to create more authoritative, “cite-worthy” content. Analyze the domains that are being cited and aim to create content that is more comprehensive and valuable than theirs.
  • No Citations Appearing: If the page is empty, ensure you have run analyses and that the AI models returned citations in their responses. Not all responses will include citations.

Next Steps

Section titled “Next Steps”