In the Search Visibility module you already see domains and URLs ranked, along with brand mentions. You also see sources and citations appear. Both look like URLs or domains — what’s the difference, and why does it matter for activation?Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.shareofmodel.ai/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
Cited URL vs. Ranked URL
| Term | What it means | Key attributes |
|---|---|---|
| Cited URL | A URL whose content the LLM uses to generate its answer. This is a Source. | Has a citation rate (frequency as a source). No ranking position. LLMs only. Labelled “Source” in Share Of Model (Search module). |
| Ranked URL | A URL that appears directly in the model’s generated answer (shown as a link or visible URL). | Has a presence rate (frequency of visibility). Has a rank or position in the answer. Concerns LLMs and traditional engines (Google, Bing). Labelled “Link” in Share Of Model (Search module). |
Examples
Prompt: “What are the best running shoes for trail?” In ChatGPT you may see the answer cite several sources behind the scenes — URLs whose content was used to build the answer — alongside some ranked domains as links.
Important notes
- The model always uses sources (cited URLs) to build its answer.
- Not all sources are displayed as ranked URLs, and not all ranked URLs are used as sources.
- Whether sources are accessible depends on the model, prompt and collect.
- There are typically more sources feeding the answer than URLs shown in the final response.
- Sources may or may not mention brands.
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 brand authority in AI-generated search. |
| Visibility / click potential | Ranked URLs (Links) | These appear in front of users and can drive clicks or impressions. Comparable to SEO rankings inside LLM answers. |
To recap
- Cited URLs = “Sources” in the Search module = what the LLM reads.
- Ranked URLs = “Links” in the Search module = what the user sees.
- Both matter — they activate different levers: influence vs. visibility.
What’s next
Sources & Links view
Explore sources and links in the platform.
Query Fan-out Explained
The internal layer that produces sources and links.