Citation categories
Citation categories sort the pages AI answers cite into kinds of source, such as your own site, competitors, press, reviews and forums.
Citation categories are groups that sort the pages AI answers cite by the kind of source they are. Your own website. Your competitors' websites. News and magazines. Review sites. Forums and social media. Directories and reference sites.
Looking at sources one by one gets slow once you have hundreds of them. Categories show you the pattern: which kinds of source the platforms lean on for your questions, and so which kinds of work are most likely to change the answers.
What the pattern tells you
Each mix points somewhere different.
If most citations go to brands' own websites, your own pages are the main lever: make them clear, current and easy for bots to read. If press and magazines dominate, PR matters most. If forums and social posts lead, the platforms are listening to what customers say to each other. If directories and review sites lead, your listings and reviews need attention.
For example, Harrow & Pine looks at a month of citations for its furniture prompts. Over half go to home and interiors magazines, a quarter to brands' own sites, and most of the rest to two forums. Harrow & Pine has strong product pages and almost no press. Its next quarter's plan starts with the magazines.
Sorting needs a check
Categories are only as good as the sorting. A site can be hard to place, like a magazine that also runs a shop. Look over how your biggest sources are grouped before you draw conclusions, and move any that are in the wrong place.
In AnswerOrbit
Sources sorts every source by who owns it: your website, then your other domains, then your competitors' domains. Everything else is grouped by type, such as press and publications, community and social, reference, or company sites. If a domain is in the wrong group, you can change it, and the change only applies to your brand.