How to Optimize for Google AI Overviews and AI Mode

How do AI Overviews and AI Mode find supporting information?

Google says both AI Overviews and AI Mode may use query fan-out.

That means Google's systems can issue multiple related searches across subtopics and data sources while developing a response. During generation, Google's models may identify additional supporting pages, potentially surfacing a broader set of helpful links than a classic web search.

Google also says AI Overviews and AI Mode may use different models and techniques, so the responses and supporting links they show can differ. AI Overviews are only shown when Google's systems determine they add value beyond the classic Search experience.

What query fan-out means for publishers

A broader question may cause Google to investigate definitions, comparison criteria, related subtopics, implementation details and useful follow-up questions.

Rankvia's practical interpretation is: Use query fan-out to understand the broader user task - not to multiply URLs.

It does not mean every possible subquery deserves a page, query fan-out is a ranking factor, or covering more fan-out variations guarantees inclusion. Google's current generative-Search guidance explicitly pushes publishers away from unnecessary query-variant tactics and toward effective SEO and useful, unique content.

Step 1: Make important pages crawlable and indexable

If Google cannot crawl or index the intended page, there is no AI Overview shortcut around that foundation.

Allow Googlebot to crawl important pages

Google Search uses Googlebot to crawl websites and discover relevant content for users. Check that robots.txt does not unintentionally block important pages, hosting or CDN rules do not block Googlebot, and important pages can be reached through internal links.

Google includes these normal SEO practices among the fundamentals relevant to AI Overviews and AI Mode.

Make intended pages indexable

Pages intended to appear in Google Search should not be unintentionally excluded through noindex, authentication barriers, persistent server failures, incorrect canonicalization or inaccessible rendering. A page must be indexed and Search-eligible before it can qualify as a supporting link in AI Overviews or AI Mode.

Use canonical URLs deliberately

If multiple URLs substantially overlap, canonicalization should identify the intended representative URL. This is normal technical SEO, not a separate AI Overview ranking tactic.

Keep important information available as text

Google recommends making important content available in textual form and supplementing it with useful images or video where appropriate. Do not make essential information available only inside screenshots, inaccessible widgets, animations or video without useful supporting text.

Make important pages internally discoverable

Google explicitly includes internal linking among the SEO fundamentals that remain relevant to AI Search. Important content should not exist as isolated URLs.

Step 2: Publish information worth surfacing

Technical eligibility gives a page the possibility of being considered. It does not make the information worth surfacing.

Google's current generative-Search guidance emphasizes unique, useful, reliable and people-focused content rather than generic pages or special AEO/GEO tricks.

Useful information can include first-hand experience, original research or data, specific examples, useful comparisons, detailed product or service information, current factual information, meaningful synthesis and expert analysis where appropriate.

These are strong content characteristics. They should not be described as known AI Overview ranking factors.

Give the page a reason to exist

Ask: What does this page add beyond a generic summary? Possible answers include original evidence, direct experience, better synthesis, clearer decision criteria, a genuinely useful comparison or more current information.

Google's guidance specifically emphasizes content that adds value beyond common knowledge and prioritizes user usefulness over supposed AEO/GEO tricks.

Step 3: Make the answer easy to understand

Rankvia recommends making the main answer easy for readers to find.

A practical structure is: Core answer -> explanation -> evidence and context -> useful follow-up questions

This is Rankvia editorial guidance, not a Google ranking rule.

Google does not require special AI chunks

Google says publishers do not need to divide content into small pieces so AI can understand it. Google's systems can understand multiple topics on a page and surface the relevant material. Google also says there is no ideal page length for generative Search.

So there is no documented rule such as: Keep every section below 300 words.

Google does not require an AI-specific rewrite

Google says publishers do not need to write content in a special way solely for generative AI Search. Clear writing is valuable because it helps users. That is enough reason to do it.

Step 4: Connect the page to the website

Google's generative Search features still operate within the broader Search and website ecosystem. Relevant internal links can connect a page to broader guides, supporting resources, comparisons, product or service pages and relevant next steps.

Google specifically recommends making important content easy to find through internal links.

Give each page clear ownership

Before creating another URL, ask: Does an existing page already own the intent? Could it be improved? Would another page substantially overlap? Is the new search task genuinely different?

Rankvia's planning model is: Create. Improve. Or skip. This is Rankvia methodology, not Google's ranking model.

Step 5: Use structured data normally

Do you need special schema for AI Overviews?

No.

Google says there is no special Schema.org markup required for AI Overviews or AI Mode.

Use normal structured data where Google supports the relevant Search feature, the markup accurately represents visible content, and it serves a genuine Search purpose.

Do not invent GEO schema, AIContent schema or AI citation schema. Google specifically recommends that structured data match the visible page content. Structured data does not guarantee AI Overview inclusion.

Do llms.txt or Google-Extended improve AI Overview visibility?

Neither is an AI Overview ranking shortcut.

llms.txt

For Google Search, llms.txt provides no visibility or ranking benefit. Google says Search does not use llms.txt; maintaining the file for another service neither improves nor harms Google Search visibility or ranking. llms.txt is not a Google AI Overview optimization technique.

Google-Extended

Google-Extended is not a separate crawler user agent. It is a robots.txt product token used to control whether content Google crawls may be used for certain Gemini model-training and grounding purposes.

Google explicitly says Google-Extended does not affect inclusion in Google Search and is not used as a Google Search ranking signal. Google Search itself uses Googlebot for crawling.

The correct distinction is: Googlebot handles Search crawling. Google-Extended controls certain separate Gemini uses.

Blocking Google-Extended should not be presented as a way to remove a page from AI Overviews or AI Mode.

Rankvia's Google AI Search visibility checklist

This is Rankvia's practical checklist, not a Google ranking model.

Eligible -> Relevant -> Useful -> Connected -> Accurate -> Measurable

Google AI Overview optimization tactics to be skeptical of

“llms.txt improves Google AI visibility”

No. Google Search does not use it as a visibility or ranking signal.

“You need special GEO schema”

No. Google says no special Schema.org markup is required for AI Overviews or AI Mode.

“Content must be split into AI-sized chunks”

No. Google says special chunking is unnecessary.

“Rewrite every page for AI”

No. Google says content does not need an AI-specific rewrite.

“Create a page for every fan-out query”

No. Query fan-out describes retrieval behavior. It does not establish a requirement for one page per related search.

“Eligibility guarantees inclusion”

No. Google explicitly says it does not.

“More AI-generated pages automatically create more authority”

No documented Google guidance supports that claim. Google's current guidance instead emphasizes useful, unique, reliable content and effective SEO over scaled or artificial tactics.

How do you measure AI Overview and AI Mode visibility?

Google's Search Console reporting changed substantially in 2026.

Start with overall Search performance

Generative Search data continues to be included in Google's overall Search performance reporting. Continue monitoring impressions, clicks, landing pages, queries and conversions.

Search Generative AI Performance reports

Google launched dedicated Search Generative AI Performance reports on June 3, 2026.

The Search report gives site owners a dedicated view of impressions from generative Search features such as AI Overviews and AI Mode.

The report currently includes impressions, pages, countries, devices for Search, and dates with hourly, daily, weekly and monthly granularity. The same underlying generative-AI data remains included in the overall Search performance report.

One important limitation: the dedicated reports are currently rolling out to a subset of websites. Do not assume every Search Console property has access yet.

Connect visibility to business outcomes

AI Overview impressions can be useful, but the objective is broader. Connect visibility to qualified visits, leads, trials, purchases and revenue. An AI Overview impression is a visibility signal. It is not the business outcome by itself.

Google AI Search optimization checklist

Related guides

Frequently asked questions