What is a Co-citation?
Co-Citation refers to the citation of two references in a third piece of content or document. Alone, these references may seem different, but when they are mentioned together, a connection is formed between them.
When it comes to SEO this means that two different websites are linked by a third website, recognising these references as related or relevant to each other. And, the more they are co-cited the stronger the link and the more credible it appears to be.
For example:
You’re reading a blog about the best hiking trails in Australia, and the article mentions two different websites—one that talks about hiking gear and another that discusses outdoor safety. Even though the blog isn’t directly linking these two sites together, it’s still making a connection between them. That connection called co-citation.
How Does Co-Citation Affect SEO?
Google’s aim is to ensure that they can provide the best information to users. That’s why it values authority and relevant, high-quality content. We’ve seen this in the various algorithm updates over the past several years.
From the Humming Bird updates in 2013 to help match the meaning of pages to search queries, rather than matching a few words, to BERT in 2019 that focused on understanding the context in a query to better match results.
When a website is mentioned alongside other authoritative sites, it can enhance it authority and credibility, specifically to search engines. Over time, this can lead to better search rankings, more traffic, and greater trust from your audience.
How Can You Benefit from Co-Citation?
To make the most of co-citation, focus on creating high-quality content that naturally gets mentioned in various contexts. Collaborate with other reputable sites, engage in discussions in your industry, and make sure your content is shareable.
What NOT to do: Avoid trying to force co-citation by spamming your content across unrelated sites or engaging in low-quality link building. These tactics can only backfire, which can lead to penalties from search engines.
