Earning AI citations
A mention, a citation, and a click are three different outcomes with three different mechanics — and ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Grok reach for measurably different source pools. These posts collect what the 2026 evidence actually supports about earning each one: which pages get cited, which off-site placements move the needle, and which popular tactics show no effect in controlled tests.
· 23 min read
How AI Engines Chunk Your Page for Passage Retrieval
AI engines cite passages, not pages. How chunking and passage-level retrieval decide which sections get quoted — and how to fix the ones that don't.
- generative-engine-optimization
- content-shape
- ai-citations
- passage-retrieval
- b2b-saas
· 17 min read
Original Research Wins AI Citations. Opinion Posts Don't
Only 8 of 301 AI-cited pages were original research, yet they took 8.3% of citations. How small teams build data assets that earn AI citations cheaply.
- generative-engine-optimization
- ai-citations
- original-research
- content-shape
- measurement
· 13 min read
How Long Does It Take to Get Cited by ChatGPT?
Google AI Mode cited 36% of new pages within 24 hours. ChatGPT needed 30 days to reach 42%. Here is what the crawl-to-citation timeline really looks like.
- generative-engine-optimization
- ai-citations
- measurement
- chatgpt
- ai-visibility
· 22 min read
Do Backlinks Matter for AI Citations? The 2026 Data
Do backlinks matter for AI citations? The 2026 correlation data says yes — as a threshold, not a driver. Here's what outranks them and where to spend.
- generative-engine-optimization
- ai-citations
- backlinks
- digital-pr
- measurement
· 19 min read
AI Citation Sources: The 68% Concentration Problem
Do 15 domains really supply 68% of AI answers? We audit the AI citation sources data engine by engine — and show which share you can actually earn.
- generative-engine-optimization
- ai-citations
- digital-pr
- citation-sources
- ai-visibility
· 18 min read
Generative AI Optimization: What the Evidence Shows
Generative AI optimization in 2026: the tactics with real evidence, the ones that measured as zero, and how to track brand visibility across four engines.
- generative-engine-optimization
- ai-visibility
- measurement
- ai-citations
· 22 min read
How to Get Into the Best Tools Lists AI Engines Cite
ChatGPT cites a recommended tool's own site just 11.6% of the time. Here's how to get listed in the best tools lists AI engines actually cite.
- generative-engine-optimization
- ai-citations
- listicles
- b2b-saas
- off-site-geo
· 18 min read
Get Cited by AI: The 2026 Evidence, Engine by Engine
What actually gets you cited by AI in 2026: per-engine citation data for ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Grok, plus the tactics the evidence says do nothing.
- generative engine optimization
- ai citations
- chatgpt
- gemini
- claude
- grok
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