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Sources are the foundation of AI optimization. While you can’t directly influence AI responses or training data, you can influence the sources AI models reference. Understanding the sources that are being used by the AI models can help identify which websites and pages are building your brand’s authority and which ones are helping your competitors.

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Why sources matter

Optimizing sources gives you the most control over your AI visibility. Sources are all URLs AI models access during response generation, while citations are sources explicitly referenced in the response text. Both contribute to AI responses. You have full control over your own website content and can influence external sources through PR, partnerships, and community engagement. When AI models reference sources where you have a stronger presence, your visibility increases.
Important limitation: AI models only see HTML content. They can’t read behind paywalls or load JavaScript-dependent content.
Under the sources section, you will find the Domains and URLs pages. Check both of them to gain insights into the multiple kinds of content that AI models are using constantly as sources to answer the prompts you are tracking. Use this information to reverse-engineer what’s working well for your competitors and other domains, identifying potential websites where you could boost your visibility through partnerships and collaborations.

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Gap Analysis

You can use the Gap Analysis function on either the Domains or URLs pages to show the sources where your competitors are mentioned, but your brand is not, helping you discover content gaps and partnership opportunities you might otherwise miss. Use this tool to identify those gaps to work on your content strategy How to prioritize opportunities:
  • Start with high Gap Scores: Focus on sources that are both frequently used and mention multiple competitors.
  • Check URL details: Click on any URL to see how that page has been used by LLMs over time, and which prompts consistently trigger it as a source and cite it.
  • Action by domain type: Editorial sites may require PR outreach, whereas UGC platforms may allow direct community engagement.

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How to use Source insights

Different source types require different optimization approaches, and gap analysis helps you prioritize where to focus first. Quick strategies by source type:
  • Editorial: Focus on digital PR and journalist outreach.
  • Corporate: Explore partnerships and directory listings.
  • UGC: Engage authentically in communities or work with influencers.
  • Reference: Update incomplete information through proper channels.
  • Your own website: Optimize content structure and ensure AI readability.
For URLs, you’ll see what types of web pages get cited (Articles, Listicles, How-to Guides, Comparisons, etc.). Same as source types, you can use this information to adjust your content strategy and create formats that perform well in your industry.