Glossary
What is Google AI Mode?
AI Mode is Google Search's conversational AI experience, launched in the US in 2025, where users ask complex questions and get a generated answer with links, then follow up. It uses query fan-out to run many related searches at once. Its traffic appears in Search Console with regular web search.
AI Mode vs AI Overviews
| AI Overviews | AI Mode | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Top of normal results | A separate tab or mode |
| Trigger | Google decides per query | User chooses it |
| Interaction | One summary | Follow-up questions |
| Sources | Links in the overview | Links throughout the answer |
Query fan-out
Google describes AI Mode breaking a question into subtopics and issuing many searches simultaneously, then combining results. A page can be cited for a subtopic it covers well even if it doesn't rank for the user's exact question. Pages that cover a topic in clear, separate sections give fan-out queries more to match.
What to do
The same fundamentals: be indexed, answer questions clearly, cover subtopics with their own headings, and keep facts and dates current. Google's guidance for AI features applies to AI Mode too.
Example
A user asks AI Mode for "the best free startup directories that give dofollow links and don't need a badge". The answer cites a directory list for the dofollow part and a separate page about badge requirements for the rest, each matched to a different fan-out query.
FAQ
Is AI Mode available everywhere?
It launched in the US and has expanded to more countries and languages since.
Is AI Mode traffic in Search Console?
Yes, counted in web search in the Performance report.
Do I need to optimise separately for AI Mode?
No. Google says the same practices apply to all its AI features.