How mentions, citations and recommendations differ
A mention is the brand appearing in an answer. A citation is a verifiable source. A recommendation is an explicit suggestion among relevant options. The three are not the same, and one does not imply the others.
Definitions
- Mention: the target brand or a registered alias appears in a valid answer.
- Citation: the answer gives a clickable or verifiable source used to support a statement.
- Recommendation: the answer explicitly suggests the target brand among comparable options.
Examples
| Example | Mention | Citation | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| The answer names the brand with no source and no comparison | Yes | No | No |
| The answer cites the brand site to explain a fact but does not suggest a purchase | Yes | Yes | No |
| The answer suggests the brand among peers and gives a source | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| A source page mentions the brand but the answer text does not | No | Source ownership needs a separate check | No |
These are concept examples, not measured customer results.
Conclusions that do not follow
- A higher mention rate does not imply a higher recommendation rate.
- A cited page belonging to the customer does not mean the model is recommending the brand.
- Alias mismatches must be correctable by a person. They must not be silently counted as success.
Sources
- VGO Framework — Effective visibility definition
- GEO 2.0 — Relevant recommendation is a goal, not a guarantee