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Citation Rate is how often your content is cited in AI answers. In other words: when an AI assistant includes citations, Citation Rate measures the share of runs where at least one of those citations points to your owned domain(s). Calculation Citation Rate=# responses where your content was cited# total responses×100Citation\ Rate = \frac{\#\ responses\ where\ your\ content\ was\ cited}{\#\ total\ responses} \times 100

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Example

If Meridian captured 200 runs in the selected period and 35 of those runs cited your site at least once:
  • Citation Rate = 35 / 200 = 17.5%

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How to interpret it

  • A higher citation rate usually means AI assistants are relying on your content as a source more often. This typically improves trust and can support better rankings over time.
  • A drop in citation rate often means the assistant is choosing other sources instead of your site for those prompts (competitors, editorial sites, or social/community sources).
  • If your citation rate is low, the next step is usually:
    • improving your “source pages” so they are more citeable (**Website → Pages**),
    • earning more third-party mentions that lead to citations (**Off-page**),
    • and publishing content aligned to what AI is already citing (**Opportunities / Content**).