Query fan-out
Google splits the question into many smaller searches, runs them in parallel and combines the results. A page can be cited because it answers just one of those sub-questions.
Guide · Google AI Mode
What is Google AI Mode and how to show up in its answers
AI Mode is the Google Search mode that answers with text written by AI, with links to its sources alongside, instead of the classic list of results. To show up, Search rules apply: the page must be indexed and eligible for a snippet, and then what matters is how well it answers the questions AI Mode splits the search into.
TL;DR
In AI Mode you ask a question, even a long one, get an answer written by a version of Gemini with linked sources and keep going with follow-ups. AI Overviews is a summary above the normal results, while AI Mode takes the place of the results page. There is nothing to sign up for: a page gets cited if it is indexed, readable and answers well one of the searches Google runs to build the answer.
How AI Mode works
Three things to know to understand where citations come from.
Sources from Google's index
Cited pages come from the Search index. There is no separate AI index and no special markup to add.
Conversation
After the first answer you can ask follow-up questions, and each new question can bring different sources.
AI Mode vs AI Overviews
They use the same technology, but they appear in different places in Search.
| Aspect | AI Overviews | AI Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Where it appears | On top of the normal results page, only for some searches | In a separate tab, instead of the results page |
| Who turns it on | Google, search by search | The user, by opening the mode |
| Kind of answer | A short summary, with the classic results below | A longer answer, with follow-up questions |
| Sources | Links beside or inside the summary | Links beside the passages of the answer |
| Controls for sites | nosnippet, data-nosnippet, max-snippet, noindex | The same: there is no option that applies to AI Mode only |
How to show up in AI Mode answers
Six steps, from the most technical to the most editorial.
1. Get the right pages indexed
A page outside the index cannot be cited. Check in Search Console that the pages answering your customers' questions are indexed.
2. Do not block the snippet
Pages with nosnippet, or with max-snippet set to zero, cannot act as sources. Use these controls only where you really want to stay out.
3. Answer the sub-questions
A question such as "best practice management software for a small firm" splits into price, features, alternatives and opinions. Cover each one with a section that answers up top.
4. Write for people who dig deeper
AI Mode users ask long questions and then ask for more. Pages that answer specific cases, with real examples and figures, serve better than generic ones.
5. Keep the brand consistent off the site
For comparison questions Google combines several sources. Listings, reviews and trade articles that describe the brand the same way make it easier to be named.
6. Measure with repeated questions
In Search Console AI Mode traffic is counted together with web search, and the generative AI features report shows only its impressions. To know whether you are cited you need questions asked to AI Mode, repeated over time.
Frequently asked questions
- What is Google AI Mode?
- It is a Google Search mode that answers questions with text written by AI and links to its sources, and lets you continue with follow-up questions. It uses a version of Gemini and takes its information from Google's index.
- What is the difference between AI Mode and AI Overviews?
- AI Overviews is a summary Google shows on top of the normal results, only for some searches. AI Mode is a separate tab the user opens on purpose: it replaces the results list with a longer, conversational answer. The sources of both come from Google's index.
- How do you turn on AI Mode in Google?
- Open the AI Mode tab on the Google results page or in the Google app, on desktop or phone, with no subscription. If the tab is not there, the feature is not yet available for that account, language or device.
- How do you rank in AI Mode?
- AI Mode has no ranking like the classic results: pages get cited as sources. You need pages that are indexed and eligible for snippets, that answer directly the sub-questions Google splits the search into, and consistent information about the brand off the site too.
- Can you see AI Mode traffic in Search Console?
- AI Mode clicks and impressions are counted in the Search Console Performance report, together with web search. The generative AI features report shows impressions in AI Overviews and AI Mode, but no clicks. To know which questions cite you, you have to query AI Mode directly.
- Is SEO still important with AI Mode?
- Yes. AI Mode picks its sources from the Google Search index, so indexing, useful content and fast pages are still the starting point. What changes is the measure: being cited counts, not only the ranking.
- How do you turn off AI Mode?
- There is no switch: just do not open the AI Mode tab and stay on the normal results. To hide AI Overviews as well there is the Web filter and a few other methods, explained in the guide on turning off AI Overviews.