AI referral traffic
Definition
AI referral traffic is website visits that arrive from AI assistants or AI search products, usually identified by the referring domain.
Why it matters
It is a lower bound on AI influence, because many visits arrive without a referrer and many answers name a brand without a link.
Example
Analytics groups visits from known AI domains into one channel and reports it beside mention and citation rates.
Related terms
Sources
Citation rate
Citation rate is the share of eligible AI answers that show a link to a brand's own pages as a source.
Measurement
Mention rate
Mention rate is the share of eligible AI answers that name a brand.
Concepts
Zero-click search
A zero-click search is one where the person gets what they need from the results page or an AI summary and does not click through to a website.
What is AI referral traffic?
AI referral traffic is website visits that arrive from AI assistants or AI search products, usually identified by the referring domain.
Why does ai referral traffic matter?
It is a lower bound on AI influence, because many visits arrive without a referrer and many answers name a brand without a link.
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