Draft: hidden from Google until Dan signs it off.

Method 02 · AI search

Fan-out
mapping.

When someone asks Google's AI a question, it doesn't run one search. It runs a set of related ones behind the scenes, then builds the answer from the pages that cover them. Fan-out Mapping works out what those hidden searches are for your market, and checks whether your pages answer them.

Written by Dan Picken, founder. Last checked 27 October 2026.
Fig. 05 · One question, six hidden searches

The question

best family car under $40k

  • safest family cars australiaAnswered
  • running costs per yearMissing
  • 7 seats vs 5 seatsWeak
  • resale value after 5 yearsMissing
  • ANCAP rating explainedAnswered
  • test drive near meWeak

Example. The AI builds its answer from the pages that cover these. Two missing means someone else gets quoted.

You optimised for
one search.

Google describes query fan-out as a set of related searches the AI model runs at the same time, to pull in more results than one search would. AI Mode launched in Australia in October 2025.

So a page built for one search can be invisible to the answer, because the AI also went looking for running costs, safety ratings and resale value, and found someone else's page for those.

Google also says no special files or markup are needed for its AI features. The way in is answering the follow-up questions well.

How it
works.

  1. 1

    Start with the real question

    The questions your buyers actually ask, from Search Console, ads search terms, reviews and sales calls.

  2. 2

    Map the fan-out

    For each one, list the follow-up searches the AI is likely to run: costs, comparisons, risks, local options.

  3. 3

    Check coverage

    Which of those does your site answer clearly? Which does a competitor answer better?

  4. 4

    Fill the gaps

    Short, stand-alone sections that each answer one follow-up, so they can be quoted on their own.

In my experience

Most sites I look at answer the main question well and stop there. The service page explains the service, but says nothing about cost, timing or what can go wrong, which are exactly the things the AI goes looking for next. Those gaps are where a competitor gets quoted instead of you.

What you get

  • Your main buyer questions, from real data
  • The fan-out searches behind each one
  • A coverage map: answered, weak or missing
  • The sections to add, page by page
  • Before and after checks of how you appear in AI answers

The technical bit

Query fan-out
The extra related searches an AI runs behind one question.
AI Overviews
The AI summary at the top of some Google results.
AI Mode
Google's chat-style search, which leans hardest on fan-out.
Passage
A short section of a page that answers one thing on its own.

Where it's used

Questions
people ask.

Do I need an llms.txt file or special markup for AI search?

Google says no for its own AI features. Clear pages that answer the question and the follow-ups matter far more.

Can you guarantee I will appear in AI answers?

No. Nobody controls which sources the AI picks. What I can do is make sure your pages answer what it's looking for, and track whether you appear more often.

The other methods

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