How to use proper citations?
This guide talks about the Citations feature of the SEO Hub and how you can use it for your maximum benefit.
What are Citations and How to Use Them for GEO?
This guide explains the Citations feature and how to leverage it to maximize your content’s effectiveness in the era of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).
A Citation is a reference to a credible, authoritative source that supports the information presented in your content. In the context of GEO, citations play a key role in helping generative engines like Google SGE, ChatGPT, and Perplexity recognize the reliability and relevance of your content, increasing its chances of being referenced or cited in AI-generated answers.
Why Do Citations Matter in GEO-Optimized Content?
✔ Enhances Credibility – Referencing reliable sources builds trust with both users and generative engines, positioning your content as authoritative.
✔ Improves Factual Accuracy – Verified sources support your claims, which is critical when AI models evaluate and summarize content.
✔ Boosts GEO Visibility – Well-cited content is more likely to be referenced by generative engines as part of their output or linked answers.
✔ Strengthens User Engagement – Data-backed insights and referenced information make your content more informative and persuasive.
How to Use the Citations Feature in Scalenut for GEO
Follow these steps to find and use the most relevant citations that will enhance your content's GEO-readiness:
STEP 1: Access the GEO Core Tools in Scalenut
Log in to your Scalenut account, navigate to the Article Writer under GEO Core, and enter your primary topic keyword along with the location or audience focus if applicable.
Customize your competitive benchmarking by choosing whether you want to analyze the top 10, 20, or 30 results. This allows you to focus on the content currently being surfaced by generative engines and build from that insight.
Once the GEO report is generated, click on the ‘Detailed Report’ tab under the Research section.
STEP 2: Open the Citations Tab
Within the detailed GEO report, click on the ‘Citations’ tab from the top menu of the Article Writer. This section surfaces commonly referenced sources from top-ranking and generative-answer-relevant pages.
STEP 3: Analyze Top Cited URLs
In the Top Cited URLs section, you’ll find a list of sources that are most frequently cited among the top 30 analyzed pages. The “Count” column shows how many times each citation appears in competitor content.
In the context of GEO, these sources are likely being used as references in content picked up by AI models, so including them in your own content helps build algorithmic trust.
STEP 4: Review Citation Details
Click the dropdown icon next to any URL to expand its details. You’ll see:
Anchor Text – The text hyperlinked to the citation within a ranking page.
Citation URL – The actual link to the referenced source.
Source URL – The page on which the citation was used.
Source Rank – The rank of the page where the citation appears, helping you judge its authority.
This level of insight helps you choose citations that generative engines are more likely to respect and reference.
STEP 5: Expand All Citations (Optional)
If you'd like to see all available citations at once, click the ‘Expand All’ button. This makes it easier to scan and compare multiple citation opportunities quickly.
STEP 6: Add Citations to Your Content Brief
Go through the citation options and choose the ones most relevant to your content's topic .
Click on the citation URL to add it as a reference in your content brief. It will appear on the right sidebar under the “References” section. You can also:
Add notes for your writer
Delete citations you don’t need
Create a well-sourced brief that supports both user needs and generative engine preferences
Customize Your Benchmarking
Please note: In this walkthrough, we've used data from the top 30 URLs for the selected keyword. You can adjust this to analyze the top 10 or top 20, depending on how focused or broad you want your analysis to be. The platform will regenerate the GEO outputs accordingly.
Conclusion
Citations aren’t just about backing up claims anymore—they’re part of how AI models evaluate, select, and surface content in generative responses.
By using Scalenut’s Citations feature within the GEO workflow, you ensure that your content:
Aligns with AI-understood credibility signals
Mirrors the citation patterns of top-performing, AI-referenced content
Enhances your visibility in generative results
Start optimizing not just for search—but for the future of content discovery.
Start optimizing for GEO.