How Google’s latest search technology is changing website traffic—and what you can do to protect and grow your audience
Google’s newest search innovation has a peculiar name that sounds like tech jargon: “query fan-out.” But don’t let the terminology fool you, this single feature represents the biggest shift in how people find information online since Google first launched.
When someone searches in Google’s AI Mode, the system doesn’t just look for pages matching their keywords. Instead, it automatically generates dozens of related searches in the background, finds information from multiple sources, and creates a comprehensive answer that anticipates what the user really wants to know.
AI Mode became available to all U.S. users in May 2025, powered by Google’s advanced Gemini language model.
Google’s AI now breaks your visitors’ single search into dozens of related searches behind the scenes, then creates comprehensive answers that may reduce the need for users to visit your website. But this isn’t just a challenge, it’s also an opportunity for website owners who understand how to adapt.
What Query Fan-Out Means for Your Website
When someone searches “best restaurants in Denver” in Google’s AI Mode, the system doesn’t just look for pages about Denver restaurants. Instead, it automatically generates and searches for related queries like:
- “Denver restaurant reviews 2025”
- “Best Denver restaurants for families”
- “Downtown Denver dining options”
- “Denver restaurant reservations”
- “Vegetarian restaurants Denver”
- “Denver fine dining vs casual”
This happens in seconds, completely invisibly to the user. Google’s AI then synthesizes information from all these searches into a single, comprehensive response—potentially answering questions your visitor didn’t even know they had.
For website owners, this creates both challenges and opportunities:
The Challenge: Users might get their answers directly from Google without ever visiting your site. Zero-click searches now represent 58.5% of U.S. Google searches, with AI-generated responses often providing sufficient information for users’ immediate needs.
The Opportunity: When your content does get featured in AI responses, you’re positioned as an authoritative source across multiple related topics, potentially reaching users who would never have found you through traditional search.
How This Affects Your Website Traffic
The impact on website traffic varies significantly depending on your content type and optimization strategy:
Immediate Traffic Impact
- Informational content (how-to guides, explanations, definitions) faces the biggest risk of traffic decline
- Commercial content (product comparisons, buying guides) may see mixed results
- Transactional pages (services, products for sale) often maintain or increase traffic when properly optimized
The numbers are significant: studies show that AI Overviews decrease click-through rates by 34.5% on average, while some websites are experiencing traffic drops of 18-70% since AI Mode’s rollout.
The New Rules: How to Optimize for Query Fan-Out
1. Think in Topics, Not Keywords
Old approach: Target “best running shoes” New approach: Create comprehensive content covering:
- Running shoe types and their uses
- How to choose running shoes for different foot types
- Running shoe maintenance and replacement
- Common running injuries related to footwear
- Running shoe technology explanations
Why this works: When Google’s AI searches for related subtopics, your comprehensive content gets pulled into more responses.
2. Structure Content for AI Extraction
Google’s AI extracts specific “chunks” of content rather than evaluating entire pages. Here’s how to structure your content:
Use clear, focused paragraphs: Each paragraph should cover one specific point in 2-4 sentences. This makes it easy for AI to extract and cite your information.
Example of AI-friendly structure:
## Best Time to Visit Japan
**Spring (March-May)** offers the famous cherry blossom season with mild temperatures ranging from 50-70°F. However, this is peak tourist season, meaning higher prices and crowded attractions.
**Summer (June-August)** brings hot, humid weather with temperatures often exceeding 85°F. While less comfortable, summer offers vibrant festivals and is ideal for mountain hiking in northern regions.
**Fall (September-November)** provides comfortable temperatures and stunning autumn foliage. This season offers a good balance of pleasant weather and moderate tourist crowds.
3. Include Authoritative Signals
AI systems heavily weight content that demonstrates expertise and authority:
- Include statistics and data: “According to the National Restaurant Association, 73% of consumers…”
- Quote experts: Reference industry professionals, academics, or certification bodies
- Cite recent sources: Link to authoritative, up-to-date information
- Show real experience: Include first-hand testing, user reviews, or case studies
4. Answer Related Questions
For every main topic, brainstorm and answer related questions that users might have:
Main topic: “How to start a blog” Related questions to address:
- What blogging platform should beginners use?
- How much does it cost to start a blog?
- How long does it take to make money blogging?
- What are common beginner blogging mistakes?
5. Optimize for “People Also Ask”
Google’s “People Also Ask” section provides insights into query fan-out patterns. Use tools like AlsoAsked.com or AnswerThePublic to discover related questions, then create content sections that directly answer these queries.
Getting Started Today
The transition to AI-powered search is happening now, but there’s still time to adapt your strategy. Start with these three immediate actions:
- Test your content: Search for your main topics in Google’s AI Mode and see how your content performs
- Expand your best pages: Take your top-performing content and make it significantly more comprehensive
- Monitor your mentions: Set up tracking to see when your content gets cited in AI responses
