What is LLM Citations?
LLM citations are references, links, or source attributions that a large language model includes in its response when it draws on retrieval, web browsing, or quoted material. In product and audit contexts, “citations” also means how often your brand is named as a substantiated answer in model outputs relevant to your category. Strong citation-like behavior — your brand named with context and specificity — usually reflects stronger training-signal association than a passing mention. Not every surface shows clickable citations; the underlying signal is still whether the model confidently names you.
Why it matters for marketing agencies
Agencies reporting on AI visibility need a shared vocabulary with clients. Citations and named recommendations are the proof points clients recognize in ChatGPT-style answers. Framing work around citation and recommendation quality aligns deliverables with what executives see in AI tools, not only SEO dashboards.