Google’s AI Mode answers questions in a conversational format by breaking each question into subtopics, running many searches at once and writing an answer with links to the pages it used. For SEO strategy, the documented facts are few but important: pages need no special markup to appear, they must be indexed and eligible for snippets, clicks and impressions are counted in Search Console, and the system searches for sub-questions a user never typed. Most other claims about how to “rank in AI Mode” are guesswork. This article separates the two.
What Google has documented
| Fact | Source |
|---|---|
| AI Mode uses a query fan-out technique, breaking a question into subtopics and issuing many searches simultaneously | Google’s AI Mode announcement, Google I/O, May 2025 |
| There are no additional requirements or special optimisations to appear in AI Mode or AI Overviews; normal SEO best practices apply | Google Search Central, “AI features and your website” |
| A page must be indexed and eligible to be shown with a snippet | Same page |
| Clicks, impressions and positions from AI Mode are included in Search Console’s Performance report totals | Google announcement, June 2025 |
| Snippet controls such as nosnippet and max-snippet also apply to AI features | Google Search Central, “AI features and your website” |
| AI Mode has expanded beyond the US to more countries and languages, including India | Google announcements, 2025 |
What is guesswork
- Exactly how Google chooses which pages to cite from the fan-out searches
- Whether structured data, page length or specific formats carry extra weight in AI Mode
- How much personalisation and conversation history change which sources appear
- Which sub-queries are generated for a given question; Google does not publish them
- Any claim of a fixed “AI Mode ranking factor” list
When a vendor presents any of these as known, ask for the source. If it is not Google’s documentation or a transparent study with its method published, treat it as a hypothesis.
What the documented facts mean for strategy
1. Normal SEO remains the entry ticket
AI Mode draws on Google’s index. Crawlability, indexing, helpful content and clear site structure decide whether a page can be a source at all. The 2026 SEO audit covers these basics.
2. Plan for sub-questions, not only head terms
Because AI Mode searches for parts of a question, pages that answer specific sub-questions directly have more chances to be used. Map them with query fan-out keyword research.
3. Write passages that can stand alone
A system combining results from many searches picks the passages that answer each part best. Sections that open with a direct, specific answer are easier to use. See 10 before-and-after rewrites.
4. Measure with what Google provides, plus your own tests
Search Console includes AI Mode in its totals but does not separate it. Combine Search Console trends with regular manual checks of AI Mode answers for your key questions, recorded in the same way as other assistants.
5. Decide on snippet controls deliberately
Using nosnippet or low max-snippet values to keep content out of AI answers also limits your normal search snippets. For most businesses, visibility in AI answers is worth more than what these controls protect.
How to check your own AI Mode visibility
- Choose 15 to 20 real buyer questions.
- Ask each in AI Mode, in a private window, from your target country.
- Record whether your pages are linked, which competitors appear and which sources are cited.
- Repeat monthly and compare with Search Console trends for the related queries.
Frequently asked questions
Is AI Mode replacing normal Google search?
Google offers it alongside the classic results. How many people use it, and for which questions, is still changing.
Does AI Mode send traffic?
It shows links to the pages it uses, and those clicks are counted in Search Console. How much traffic that produces varies by query and site.
Should we create separate content for AI Mode?
No. Google says no special optimisation is needed. Improve the pages that answer your buyers’ questions.
Sources
- Google, “AI Mode in Google Search”, Google I/O, May 2025
- Google Search Central, “AI features and your website”
- Google Search Central, announcement on AI Mode data in Search Console, June 2025