How research works: real sources, no invented facts

Before SEOBetter writes a word, it researches your keyword on the live web. This is why articles take a few minutes to generate.

The citation pool

The plugin collects a set of real article URLs that relate to your keyword. Each URL is checked before it can be used:

• Dead links are dropped
• Pages hidden behind bot walls or "access denied" screens are dropped
• Only pages that load real content make the pool

This verified list is called the citation pool. It is handed to the AI as a closed menu: the AI can only cite sources from that list. It cannot invent a source, a study, or a statistic attribution that is not in the pool.

The References section

The References section at the end of each article is not written by the AI. The plugin builds it from the citation pool at save time, so every reference is a real link that was live when the article was generated. Quotes work the same way. If the AI attributes a quote to a source without a verified URL, the plugin strips that quote before you see the article.

Local businesses work the same way

For local keywords like "best plumbers in ballarat", the plugin pulls real business data from places sources first. If it cannot find at least two verified businesses, it writes a general informational article instead of a listicle. It never invents business names. See the local business articles guide for details.

What this means for you

You get fewer citations on very niche topics, because fewer real sources exist. That is by design. A shorter References section of real links beats a long one full of fabricated sources. If your References section looks thin, try a slightly broader keyword.