What is Citation Flow?
A metric measuring the quantity of links pointing to a URL, indicating how influential it may be.
Understanding Citation Flow
Citation Flow is a metric developed by Majestic, scored on a scale of 0 to 100, that predicts how influential a URL is based on the number of sites linking to it. It measures link quantity without considering quality, which is why it is typically used alongside Trust Flow (which measures link quality). A high Citation Flow with a low Trust Flow suggests many links from low-quality sources, which can indicate a spammy link profile. The ratio between Trust Flow and Citation Flow is a useful diagnostic for evaluating backlink health.
Why It Matters
Citation Flow helps you quickly assess the link momentum behind any URL or domain. Combined with Trust Flow, it provides a quality-versus-quantity snapshot of your backlink profile that guides link building strategy.
How Keyword Kick Helps
Keyword Kick's backlink analysis includes authority metrics for your domain and each referring domain, helping you evaluate link quality and identify whether your profile skews toward quantity or quality.
Related Terms
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Citation Flow and Trust Flow?
Citation Flow measures the quantity or volume of links pointing to a URL, while Trust Flow measures the quality or trustworthiness of those links. A healthy backlink profile has a Trust Flow close to its Citation Flow, indicating that most links come from reputable sources.
Is a high Citation Flow always good?
Not necessarily. A very high Citation Flow with a low Trust Flow often indicates a large number of low-quality or spammy links. The Trust Flow to Citation Flow ratio is more informative than either metric alone.
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