Citation Flow

What Is Citation Flow

Citation Flow is a backlink metric originally created by Majestic SEO that gauges the quantity and “link power” of a website’s backlinks. In other words, it measures how many links are pointing to your site, and roughly how influential those links are. 

Citation Flow is often discussed alongside Majestic’s Trust Flow metric. While Citation Flow focuses on quantity, Trust Flow focuses on quality. In practice, Citation Flow assigns a score (typically 0–100) that rises when a site gains more backlinks. A high Citation Flow suggests your site is widely “cited” by other domains, indicating strong link popularity or link power.

 However, it does not evaluate the trustworthiness of those links – that’s what Trust Flow is for.

It’s important to note that Citation Flow is a third-party SEO metric, not a Google ranking factor. Google doesn’t use Citation Flow itself, but SEO teams use it as an indicator of link-building success or the “popularity” of a site’s link profile. A sudden spike in Citation Flow often comes from a successful link-building campaign or viral content, while a decline can flag lost links or penalties.

Why Citation Flow Matters

A higher Citation Flow can correlate with better search visibility. In SEO, backlinks still act as “votes” of confidence; Citation Flow helps quantify how many votes your site has gathered. In B2B SaaS and other industries, sites with stronger link profiles tend to rank higher for competitive keywords. Using Citation Flow strategically offers several benefits:

• Link Profile Assessment: It helps quickly gauge if your SaaS brand is earning links. A steady increase in Citation Flow suggests content is resonating with the industry and attracting organic links.
• Quality Check (in combination): Pairing Citation Flow with Trust Flow can reveal if you have too many low-quality links. A healthy site often shows Citation Flow and Trust Flow in balance (close to a 1:1 ratio).
• Campaign Measurement: After an outreach campaign or content release (like a whitepaper or webinar), you can track Citation Flow over time. A sharp jump indicates success. Conversely, a sudden drop may indicate lost backlinks or harmful SEO issues.
• Benchmarking: Many SaaS SEO teams compare their Citation Flow to industry peers. If competitors have higher Citation Flow, it often means they’ve been more active in link-building.

Best Practices for Managing Citation Flow

Building a strong Citation Flow is essentially about earning more backlinks, but doing it in a way that aligns with long-term SEO health. Here are practical, actionable best practices:

1. Focus on Link Quality and Quantity

 Don’t just chase a raw number. Aim to earn backlinks from reputable, relevant sites in your SaaS niche. For example, guest-posting on a well-known SaaS industry blog or getting mentioned in a tech press release can raise both Citation and Trust. 

We emphasize linking from high-trust sources and avoiding link schemes

You can also create link-worthy content (like in-depth guides or tools) so links come naturally. 

2. Monitor with Backlink Tools

Use SEO tools that report Citation Flow. Tools like LinkMiner (by Mangools) or SEMrush can track Citation Flow and Trust Flow for your domain. 

Regularly review these metrics to spot spikes or declines. For instance, if you see Citation Flow jumping, identify which new links caused it. If it suddenly drops, investigate lost backlinks or penalties. 

Many tools also provide filtering (dofollow vs nofollow links, anchor text, etc.) so you can analyze how link acquisitions are influencing Citation Flow. .

3. Maintain a Natural Link Velocity

Acquiring links steadily over time is key. A natural link growth pattern is slow and consistent, rather than sudden bulk gains. Google flags unnatural spikes. 

For example, if a content campaign leads to 100 new links in one week, that’s a 200% link spike – the algorithm may view it skeptically. Instead, spread outreach and promotion out. Ideally, build links through sustained methods like ongoing guest contributions, partnerships, and press mentions. This keeps your Citation Flow climbing at a steady, organic rate.

4. Diversify Link Sources

Don’t rely on just one site or network for links. Google favors a broad base of referring domains. If your incoming links all come from one forum or guest-post network, your Citation Flow might rise, but it looks unnatural. 

Work on earning links from diverse domains: tech blogs, news sites, industry partnerships, developer communities, etc. This also protects against algorithmic penalties that target overly similar link patterns.

5. Audit and Disavow Toxic Links

Periodically review your backlink profile via Google Search Console or tools like Ahrefs. If your Citation Flow is high but Trust Flow is disproportionately low, it could mean toxic links are skewing the metric. 

Disavowing spammy links can help clean up the profile. Removing a bunch of bad links may temporarily lower raw Citation Flow, but in the long run it ensures link growth is sustainable.

FAQs about Citation Flow

What exactly is Citation Flow?

Citation Flow is a metric (from Majestic) that represents the overall “power” or quantity of backlinks to a site. Think of it as a vote count: more votes (links) give a higher score. It doesn’t measure quality.

How is Citation Flow calculated?

The precise algorithm is proprietary, but Majestic’s approach factors in the number of links and their links, essentially “flowing” link equity through the web graph. 

Each backlink passes a certain amount of influence. A site that receives links from many sites (even moderately authoritative ones) will see a higher Citation Flow. (Contrast with Trust Flow, which weights links from highly trusted sources more heavily. 

Is Citation Flow a Google ranking factor?

No. Citation Flow is a third-party metric used for SEO analysis. Google doesn’t know or use Citation Flow in its algorithms. However, since it reflects how many sites link to you, it often correlates with the real factors Google considers. So a higher Citation Flow usually accompanies better rankings, but only if those links are not spammy.

How should I use Citation Flow in SEO strategy?

Use it to monitor link-building progress. Track changes in Citation Flow after content campaigns or PR pushes. Compare it to competitors: if their Citation Flow is much higher, their site likely has a broader backlink profile. Also use it with Trust Flow to avoid pitfalls: a huge Citation Flow and low Trust Flow is a red flag that many links might be low-quality. 

What’s a good Citation Flow score?

Scores are relative. In general, a higher score is better, but it depends on your niche and competitors. For example, enterprise SaaS companies often have Citation Flow in the 20s or 30s early on, scaling into 50+ as they mature. The key is comparing like-for-like. A Trust Flow to Citation Flow ratio near 1:1 is often ideal. If Citation Flow is much higher than Trust Flow, it indicates many links but few from trusted sites, which might not help SEO.