Do Better Google Rankings Translate to AI Mode Visibility?

Overview

Google’s AI Mode began rolling out to all US users in June, and is expected to continue expanding to more regions in the coming months. 

As this new experience becomes the default (no opting-in required) for more searchers, it’s set to significantly reshape user behavior across the globe. 

Amidst this shift, one question continues to surface for SEOs: If I rank well in organic search, will I also appear in AI Mode answers?

In other words, can traditional SEO tactics alone still drive visibility in an AI-response experience?

To find out, we analyzed the overlap between AI Mode citations and traditional organic listings for the exact same set of queries knowing that AI Mode implements the query fan-out process (more on this below). This offers a clearer picture of where and how to focus your efforts in the evolving SERP landscape.

Key Takeaways

• AI Mode and organic rankings only partially overlap: 68% of queries have at least one AI Mode citation from the top 20 organic results.
• Most AI Mode sources come from outside top organic results: Only 20% of total AI Mode citations are from the top 20 web rankings.
• Higher rankings improve, but don’t guarantee, AI Mode inclusion: Rank position one appears in AI Mode 27% of the time, Rank 2 at 21%, and Rank 3 at 17%.
  

Curious about the overlap between AI Overviews and organic rankings? We analyzed that too! Explore our previous research study to see the results. 

Considerations for AI Mode Responses: Query Fan-Out

Before diving into the data, it’s important to understand how AI search engines processes queries, and how that differs from traditional search.

Unlike a standard Google search that returns a straightforward list of ranked results, AI Mode uses a process often known as query fan-out. It breaks the original query into multiple sub-questions and pulls information from various sources to construct a comprehensive, synthesized response.

In this example, you can see that AI Mode is conducting six different searches and looking at 61 sites for a single query.

This shift has major implications for SEO. Because AI Mode reinterprets and expands the intent behind a query, the sources it cites may not match the top-ranking URLs in traditional search.

Understanding this behavior is key to enhancing your content’s visibility in an AI-powered SERP, as ranking for a single query is no longer enough. Our analysis below shows that, due to the query fan-out process, securing mentions and citations in AI Mode requires broader topical coverage.

Only Partial Overlap Between Sources in AI Mode and Organic Rankings for the Same Query

Out of 1,000 queries analyzed, 68% had at least one citation from the top 20 organic results in AI Mode. When looking only at the top 10 rankings, overlap occurred for 62% of queries.

Only 20% of AI Mode Sources Come from the Organic Results for the Same Query

Of the 10,853 AI Mode citations analyzed, just 20% were from the top 20 organic rankings. The vast majority came from sources outside the top 20 search results, highlighting that strong organic rankings alone won’t guarantee AI Mode visibility. 

This underscores the need for SEOs to adapt strategies beyond traditional ranking signals to compete in AI-powered search. Due to the query fan-out approach AI Mode uses, success will largely depend on optimizing content to cover a broader range of related sub-topics, not just a single primary keyword.

Recommended Reading: How to Adapt Your SEO Strategy to AI Mode