A brand mention is an AI-answer reference that can be attributed to a specific brand, with or without a source link. Accurate identity matters: a similar name, sibling domain, or unrelated entity should not be counted as the monitored brand.
In plain terms
A named recommendation, comparison-table row, or passing reference can all be mentions.
GetCited.me distinguishes a correct mention from a likely entity mismatch and from no mention, using the answer text, brand context, and available source domains.
A mention and a citation are independent: an answer may name a brand without linking to it, or cite a page that does not mention the monitored brand.
Why it matters
Mentions are the raw material of AI visibility — you cannot analyze position or sentiment for a brand that is never named.
Watching which competitors get mentioned where you don't pinpoints the exact questions to target.