In the Search Visibility module, you already see domains and URLs ranked along with brands mentioned. Now, you also see sources and citations appear.
But since both look like URLs or domains… what’s the difference? And why does it matter for activation?
Let’s clarify.
1. Definition: Cited vs. Ranked URL
Term | What It Means | Key Attributes |
Cited URL | The content of a URL used by the LLM (Large Language Model) to generate its answer. This is a Source. | - Has a citation rate (frequency of appearance as a source) - Concerns only LLMs - Entitled ‘Source’ in Share of Model (Search module) |
Ranked URL | A URL that appears directly in the model’s generated answer (e.g., shown as a link or visible URL). | - Has a presence rate (frequency of visibility) - Has a rank or position in the answer - Concerns both LLMs AND Traditional engines (Google, Bing) - Entitled ‘Links’ in Share of Model (Search module) |
2. Examples
Prompt: “What are the best running shoes for trail?”
In ChatGPT, you might see:
The answer cites several sources behind the scenes, meaning URLs whose content is used to build the answer.
The answer displays also some ranked domains as links.
Here as a user I can access the sources within Chat GPT but it’s not the case for all LLMs, all the times on all the prompts. An example below within Gemini where for the same prompt we don’t have access to the sources from the interface, and there is no domain ranked or links displayed in the direct answer.
3. Important Notes
The model always uses sources (cited URLs) to build its answer
Not all sources (cited URLs) are displayed in the direct answer (ranked URLs). The other way around is true: not all displayed URLs (links) are used as sources.
Depending on the model, the prompt and the collect, the sources may or may not be accessible from the modele interface.
There are typically more sources feeding the answer than there are URLs shown in the final response.
The sources (cited URLs) might or not mention Brands.
4. Why We Distinguish the Two
The distinction matters for activation and strategy — each type plays a different role in your visibility ecosystem:
Objective | Focus On | Why It Matters |
Content Influence / Brand Authority | Cited URLs (Sources) | Indicates which domains the LLM trusts to generate answers. Being cited as a source strengthens your brand’s authority in AI-generated search. |
Visibility / Click Potential | Ranked URLs (Links) | These appear in front of users and can drive direct clicks or impressions. They’re comparable to SEO rankings in LLM-generated answers. |
To Recap
Cited URLs = ‘Sources’ in Search module = What the LLM reads, its sources.
Ranked URLs = ‘Links’ in Search module = What the user sees.
Both matter — but they activate different levers: influence vs. visibility.