What is query fan-out?
When a user asks "Recommend an agency that offers GEO services in London", AI does not run one search. It splits the question into parts and searches each: what the service covers, how long results take, how pricing works, how results are measured.
Google has said AI Mode works this way and calls it "query fan-out". The consequence: even with a good page for the main question, if your site does not answer the sub-questions, other sites become the source for those parts.
What does AIShortlist do?
- Works out 5 to 8 likely sub-questions for every question you approve.
- Looks for the answer to each sub-question in the crawled pages of your site.
- States the status for each: answered on your site, partly answered, or missing.
- For answered ones, shows the page and the sentence as an exact quote. A match whose quote is not on the page does not count.
- For the gaps, gives a to-do list of the form "add this section to this page" and a draft.
An example
Question: "Recommend an agency that offers GEO services in London".
| Sub-question | Status on the site | Work to do |
|---|---|---|
| What does a GEO service cover? | Answered: on the service page, with a quote | None |
| How long until results show? | Partly: only in a blog post | Add a short section to the service page |
| How is the price set? | Missing | Add a section on what the price depends on |
| How are results measured? | Missing | Open a page or section explaining the method |
The table is an illustration; the sub-questions and statuses come from your own question and site.
Where does the draft come from?
The draft uses the outline of the missing section and facts already on your site. No figure, price or claim that is not on your site is invented; you add that information.
If a missing sub-question needs a new page, the task joins the to-do list together with the new page ideas.
What are the limits?
- Sub-questions are likely questions. Nobody outside can see which searches an engine ran for a given answer; the list covers the topics the question naturally breaks into.
- Matching uses the crawled pages of your site; an answer on a page that was not crawled can show as missing.
- Adding the missing section does not guarantee a recommendation. The next measurement shows what happened.
Scope and plans
Sub-question analysis is open on paid plans with a 30-day allowance: Starter 2, Growth 4, Pro 10, Agency 25 questions. It is locked in the free trial and on Lite.
The questions are your approved questions from the ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity measurement. Google AI Mode itself is not measured.