Mentioned, recommended or cited: the three ways AI assistants treat a business

An AI assistant can treat your business in three ways: it can mention you, recommend you or cite you. A mention names you in an answer, a recommendation puts you forward as a choice, and a citation points to your site or a page about you as a source for what it says.

Each outcome means something different for a buyer. Knowing which one you get, and for which questions, is the core of AI visibility.

Mentioned: you are in the answer

A mention is the lightest outcome. The assistant names your business somewhere in its reply, perhaps in a list or as an example.

A mention tells you the assistant knows you exist and connects you to the topic. It does not tell you the buyer was pointed your way.

Recommended: you are the suggested choice

A recommendation is stronger. The assistant suggests your business as an option the buyer should consider, often with a short reason.

This is the outcome that most often turns into a visit or an enquiry. When a competitor is recommended and you are only mentioned, the buyer hears about you but is steered elsewhere.

Cited: your page is the source

A citation means the assistant links to or names your site, or a page about you, as the source of what it says. Citations show which pages the assistant relies on.

A citation can appear with or without a recommendation. Being cited for the facts about your own business is a good sign that your site is clear and easy to quote.

Why the difference matters

Counting how often your name appears mixes these outcomes together. A business mentioned often but rarely recommended has a different problem from one that is recommended but never cited.

Separating them points to different fixes. A missing recommendation often calls for clearer reasons to choose you, while a missing citation often calls for pages that state the facts plainly.

What is AI visibility, and how is it measured?

AI Visibility measures how often AI assistants mention, recommend and cite a business, with a report and a fix list. Each run asks AI assistants the questions your buyers ask and records whether you are mentioned, recommended or cited.

You see which assistants name your business today and which name a competitor. You also see the buyer questions where a competitor is named instead of you.

Every report ends with a fix list, so you know what to change and not only where you stand. For how to pick the questions themselves, see which buyer questions to track.

Where to start

Begin with a small set of questions a new buyer would ask in your category. Check each outcome for each question, and write down the competitors named alongside you.

That list gives you a baseline. It also shows which of the three outcomes you are missing most often.

If you would rather not do it by hand, the free Snapshot checks ChatGPT and Gemini for your business and shows which competitors they name instead.

FAQ

What is the difference between being mentioned, recommended and cited by AI?

A mention names you in an answer, a recommendation suggests you as a choice, and a citation points to your site or a page about you as a source. Each needs a different kind of fix.

What is AI visibility, and how is it measured?

AI Visibility measures how often AI assistants mention, recommend and cite a business. Each run asks AI assistants the questions your buyers ask and records whether you are mentioned, recommended or cited.

Is a mention as good as a recommendation?

No. A mention shows the assistant knows you, while a recommendation is what points a buyer toward you.

Why would an assistant cite my site but not recommend me?

Your pages may state facts clearly without giving reasons to choose you. Adding clear reasons, such as services, areas served and reviews, gives the assistant something to recommend.

Next step: Start your free Snapshot to see how you are treated today.