Pages that rank for Google’s AI Overview “fan-out” queries are much more likely to be cited than those that rank only for the main search query, according to data from Surfer SEO.

  • An analysis of 10,000 keywords found a strong correlation (Spearman 0.77) between how many fan-out queries a page ranks for and its likelihood of being cited in Google’s AI Overviews.

By the numbers. Pages ranking for fan-out queries are 161% more likely to be cited than pages ranking only for the main query. Also:

  • 76% of the sampled keywords triggered AI Overviews.
  • 33,000 fan-out queries were extracted using Gemini.
  • Pages ranking for both the main query and at least one fan-out accounted for 51% of AI Overview citations.
  • Pages ranking only for the main query accounted for just under 20%.

Fan-outs beat the main query. Ranking for fan-out queries is 49% more likely to earn a citation than ranking for the head term alone. When Google AI Overviews cited organic results:

  • About 20% cited pages that ranked only for the main query.
  • About 30% cited pages that ranked only for fan-out queries.

Most AI Overview citations don’t rank. About 68% of cited pages didn’t rank in the top 10 of Google for either the main query or any fan-out query. Among the top three visible citations, that share drops to about 46%.

Yes, but. As always, correlation is not causation. Also:

  • Ranking for fan-out queries does not guarantee an AI Overview citation.
  • Fan-outs vary by user context and personalization, with only about 27% remaining consistent across repeated runs.
  • Traditional SEO alone does not fully explain how citations are selected.

Why we care. If you want to be cited in Google AI Overviews, don’t chase fan-out queries. Own the topic. Surfer SEO recommends building deep topical coverage around core subjects, publishing content that naturally answers a wide range of related questions, and letting AI Overviews discover your relevance across different fan-outs.

The report. Ranking for Multiple Fan-Out Queries Dramatically Increases Your Chances of Getting Cited in AIOs (173,902 URLs Studied)

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Danny GoodwinDanny Goodwin

Danny Goodwin is Editorial Director of Search Engine Land & Search Marketing Expo – SMX. He joined Search Engine Land in 2022 as Senior Editor. In addition to reporting on the latest search marketing news, he manages Search Engine Land’s SME (Subject Matter Expert) program. He also helps program U.S. SMX events.

Goodwin has been editing and writing about the latest developments and trends in search and digital marketing since 2007. He previously was Executive Editor of Search Engine Journal (from 2017 to 2022), managing editor of Momentology (from 2014-2016) and editor of Search Engine Watch (from 2007 to 2014). He has spoken at many major search conferences and virtual events, and has been sourced for his expertise by a wide range of publications and podcasts.