Quick answer: Google AI Mode breaks each question into many smaller searches, then builds one answer from the pages that best answer each part. To get cited, you need strong basic SEO, because AI Mode draws on Google’s own index. On top of that, you need pages that answer specific sub-questions clearly and early.
Google is still where most people start their search. But more and more of them now get an AI-written answer instead of ten blue links. AI Mode goes further than AI Overviews. It is a full conversational search experience, where users ask follow-up questions without ever leaving Google.
This guide explains how AI Mode picks its sources, how it differs from AI Overviews, and the eight steps that raise your chances of being cited.
For the factors that apply across every AI engine, see our pillar guide to AI search ranking factors.
In this guide
- What AI Mode is, and how it differs from AI Overviews
- How AI Mode chooses sources
- Eight steps to optimise for AI Mode
- How to test and track AI Mode
- Case study: EMotorad
- Frequently asked questions
What is Google AI Mode, and how is it different from AI Overviews?
AI Mode is a separate, chat-style search mode in Google, powered by Gemini. It gives long, detailed answers and lets users ask follow-up questions. AI Overviews are shorter AI summaries that appear above normal search results for some queries.
| AI Overviews | AI Mode | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it appears | At the top of normal search results | In its own tab, or when a user chooses AI Mode |
| When it appears | Only for some queries | Whenever the user chooses it |
| Answer length | A short summary | A long, detailed answer |
| Follow-up questions | No | Yes, as a conversation |
| Number of sources | A few links | Often many links across the answer |
| Best for | Quick facts and simple questions | Complex research, comparisons and planning |
Both draw on Google’s search index, so the same SEO foundation supports both. AI Mode, however, rewards depth. It handles complex questions, so it needs pages that answer the detailed parts.
How does AI Mode choose its sources?
AI Mode uses a method Google calls query fan-out. It splits the user’s question into several related searches, runs them at the same time, and then combines the best passages into one answer. It cites pages that give a clear, trustworthy answer to one or more of those sub-searches.
Query fan-out in practice
Say a user asks, “What is the best electric cycle for a 15 km daily commute in Bangalore?” AI Mode may also search for:
- Electric cycle range per charge
- Electric cycle prices in India
- Electric cycles for hilly or uneven roads
- Electric cycle maintenance costs
- Reviews of popular models
A brand with clear pages on each of these has many chances to be cited. A brand with only one product page has very few. To see which sub-questions your topic might trigger, try the Query Fan-Out Generator.
Quality signals still apply
Google applies its usual quality systems to AI Mode. Pages that show experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trust (E-E-A-T) are more likely to be used. So are pages that are helpful, original and written for people rather than search engines.
Preferred sources
Google lets users mark news sites as preferred sources for Top Stories, so those sites appear more often. This mainly affects publishers. If you publish news or industry updates, ask loyal readers to add your site as a preferred source.
8 steps to optimise for Google AI Mode
Step 1: Answer the sub-questions, not just the main keyword
List the 10 to 20 smaller questions behind each main topic. These cover price, comparisons, use cases, problems and alternatives. Make sure each one is answered clearly somewhere on your site, either as its own page or as its own section.
Step 2: Build topic clusters
Group related pages around one main guide, known as a pillar page, and link them together. For example, an electric cycle brand might have one pillar guide to electric cycles. That guide would link to pages on range, pricing, maintenance and city commuting. Clusters show Google that you cover the topic in depth.
Step 3: Put the answer in the first 60 words
AI Mode lifts passages, so open each section with a direct answer, then explain. Avoid long introductions and keep paragraphs short: three sentences or fewer.
Step 4: Use tables and lists that Google can lift
Put prices, specifications and comparisons in HTML tables. Use numbered lists for steps. AI Mode often reuses this kind of structured content directly in its answers. Never put key data only in images or PDFs.
Step 5: Add Article, FAQPage and Organization schema
Schema markup helps Google understand what each page covers and who published it. Use JSON-LD. Make sure it matches the content that readers can see on the page, because Google ignores markup that doesn’t.
To see how schema fits alongside llms.txt and AI Instructions pages, read llms.txt vs AI Instructions pages vs schema.
Step 6: Understand what Google-Extended does and does not do
Google-Extended is a robots.txt setting. It controls whether Google may use your content to train and improve Gemini models. Google says blocking it does not remove your pages from Google Search, which includes AI Overviews. So blocking Google-Extended is not a way to opt out of AI answers in Search, and allowing it is not a ranking boost. To appear in AI Mode, Googlebot must be able to crawl your pages.
Step 7: Keep pages fast and stable
Slow or unstable pages are less likely to be crawled often and used well. Check your Core Web Vitals in Google Search Console. Aim for a fast server response, and avoid layout shifts caused by ads or late-loading images.
Step 8: Earn mentions across the web
AI Mode often cites sources beyond brand websites. These include news sites, Reddit, YouTube and review platforms. Being present there gives you more ways into the answer. Publish helpful YouTube videos, take part in genuine community discussions, and pitch original data to industry media.
How to test and track AI Mode for your brand
Run a simple AI Mode test
- Write 20 questions your buyers ask, from simple to complex.
- Ask each one in AI Mode, and note which brands and websites are cited.
- Mark which sub-questions your site answers and which it misses.
- Fill the biggest gaps first, with new pages or sections.
- Repeat the test every month with the same 20 questions.
If you sell in India, test in Hindi or other regional languages too, wherever your buyers search in them.
Tracking AI Mode traffic
Google Search Console includes clicks and impressions from AI Mode in your normal web search data. It does not show them as a separate report. So:
- Watch for changes in impressions and clicks on the pages that answer complex questions.
- Track your brand’s appearance in AI Mode answers with a fixed set of prompts.
- Watch branded search volume. Brands named in AI answers often see more people search for them by name.
AI Mode is only one channel. To track ChatGPT as well, follow our guide on how to get cited by ChatGPT.
Case study: EMotorad
EMotorad is an Indian electric cycle brand. Spacemen worked on its SEO and AI visibility, using the same approach described in this guide. Here are the results:
- 51% growth in direct-to-consumer sales within six months
- The #1 Google ranking for “electric cycle”
- Citations in ChatGPT answers about electric cycles
Read the full EMotorad case study for the details.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between AI Mode and AI Overviews?
AI Overviews are short AI summaries that appear above normal results for some searches. AI Mode is a separate, conversational search mode. It gives longer answers, handles complex questions and allows follow-ups. Both use Google’s index, but AI Mode cites more sources and rewards deeper content.
Does blocking Google-Extended remove me from AI Mode?
No. Google-Extended controls whether your content can be used to train and improve Gemini models. Google says it does not affect whether your pages appear in Google Search, including its AI features. To appear in AI Mode, Googlebot must be able to crawl your pages.
Can I see AI Mode traffic in Google Search Console?
AI Mode clicks and impressions are counted in your normal web search performance data, but Search Console does not show them as a separate report. To understand your visibility, combine Search Console data with regular manual or automated prompt tests.
Do I need different content for AI Mode and normal Google search?
Not entirely different, but deeper. The same SEO foundations apply. AI Mode rewards content that answers many related sub-questions clearly, so expand your pages and topic clusters to cover the questions behind each main keyword.
Is Google AI Mode available in India?
Yes. Google has rolled out AI Mode in India, including support for Hindi. Indian brands should test their key questions in AI Mode now, in English and in the regional languages their customers use.
The bottom line
AI Mode rewards brands that answer the whole question, not just the headline keyword. Start with strong SEO, because AI Mode draws on Google’s index. Then build clusters that answer each sub-question in the first few lines, with clean tables, schema and fast pages. Test the same prompts every month to see where you stand.
If you need a stronger foundation first, Spacemen’s SEO services cover technical SEO, content and AI visibility in one plan.