See the sources AI cites when it recommends your competitors
When an AI platform cites its sources, Ansoar records them. You see which websites keep appearing behind competitor recommendations, which of them feature you, and where you are missing.
Sources cited in battery installation answers, last 30 days
| Source | Citations | You | Competitors on it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Business ProfileListing | 21 | Present | Coastwatt, Harbourline |
| A solar review siteReview platform | 14 | Missing | Coastwatt, Sunvale |
| coastwatt.example rebate guideCompetitor site | 9 | Missing | Coastwatt |
| A local news featureMedia | 4 | Missing | Harbourline |
| brightlinesolar.exampleYour website | 6 | Present | - |
Sites quoted in the answers Ansoar collected.
What citation and source analysis does
Every cited source, grouped by type
Ansoar groups cited websites into types, such as business websites, listings, review platforms, directories and media, so you can see what kind of evidence AI leans on in your market.
Where competitors appear and you don’t
For each source, Ansoar shows which tracked businesses have a page cited there, so you can spot sources that keep appearing when competitors are recommended and have nothing about you.
What the published research supports
Published studies show similar patterns. BrightLocal’s August 2026 analysis of nearly two million citations found Google Business Profile accounted for 28.5% of citations, and around 93% of cited domains were individual business websites. Seer Interactive’s 2026 study of 804,491 AI responses found brands with an active Trustpilot profile were cited far more often than brands without one.
These are observed patterns across many businesses, not proof that changing one of them will get you recommended. Ansoar shows what appears in your own answers.
Sources: BrightLocal, AI directory sources study (Aug 2026); Seer Interactive, 804,491 AI responses on reviews (May 2026).
Common questions
Which sources does AI cite most for local businesses?
It depends on the market and the platform. Across a large sample, BrightLocal found Google Business Profile was the most cited source and that individual business websites made up most cited domains. Ansoar shows the mix in your own answers.
Should I get listed on every source a competitor appears on?
Not necessarily. Ansoar highlights the sources that recur behind competitor recommendations in your answers, and Actions turns the strongest patterns into prioritised work.
Do I need schema markup to be cited?
Schema markup is useful for other reasons, but it is not a requirement for appearing in AI answers, and Ansoar does not treat missing schema as a failure.
Does every AI answer include sources?
No. Some platforms and some answers cite sources and others don’t. Ansoar records sources whenever an answer includes them, and shows how many answers each figure is based on.
Can I see the answer a source was cited in?
Yes. Every answer is kept with its question, platform and date, so you can open any source and read the answers that cited it.
Related features
Try it on the jobs you want more of
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