How to Show Up in Gemini and Google AI Mode

Last updated: October 2026

To show up in Gemini and Google AI Mode, your pages first need to be indexed by Google and eligible to show with a snippet. Google says there are no extra technical requirements or special files. After that, it comes down to clear, useful pages, consistent brand information, and not blocking Google-Extended if you want to be used in Gemini app answers.

Key takeaways🔗

• Google's own documentation says pages in AI Mode must be "indexed and eligible to be shown in Google Search with a snippet," with no additional requirements.

• Google says you do not need new machine readable files, AI text files or special markup for AI Overviews or AI Mode.

• AI Mode and AI Overviews may use "query fan-out," running many related searches, so pages that answer sub-questions well have more chances to be used.

• The Gemini app is a separate product. Google-Extended controls whether your content can be used for grounding in Gemini Apps, but it does not affect Google Search.

• TrendlyAI tracks Google AI Overviews, but not Gemini or AI Mode.

What is the difference between Gemini, AI Mode and AI Overviews?🔗

Gemini, AI Mode and AI Overviews are three different Google products that share the same family of models, and each one finds and shows sources a little differently.

• AI Overviews are the AI summaries that appear at the top of some regular Google results.

• AI Mode is a separate tab in Google Search for longer, conversational questions. Google describes it as "our most powerful AI search, with more advanced reasoning and multimodality, and the ability to go deeper through follow-up questions" (Google blog). In the same May 2025 post, Google said a custom version of Gemini 2.5 powers both AI Mode and AI Overviews in the US, and that AI Mode was rolling out to all Americans starting May 20, 2025.

• Gemini (the Gemini app at gemini.google.com and in Google's mobile apps) is Google's standalone assistant. It can show sources, but Google notes "Not all responses include related links or sources" (Gemini Apps Help).

Sources for the table: Google Search Central, Google crawler docs, Google AI for Developers.

If you are mainly after AI Overviews, start with our Google AI Overviews optimization guide. This post focuses on AI Mode and the Gemini app.

What does Google say about appearing in AI Mode?🔗

Google says appearing in AI Mode requires the same things as appearing in regular Search, and nothing more. Its Search Central page "AI features and your website" is the primary source here (Google Search Central). The key points, in Google's words:

• Eligibility: to be shown as a supporting link, a page must be "indexed and eligible to be shown in Google Search with a snippet."

• No extra requirements: "There are no additional requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode, nor other special optimizations necessary."

• No special files: "You don't need to create new machine readable files, AI text files, or markup to appear in these features."

• Query fan-out: "Both AI Overviews and AI Mode may use a 'query fan-out' technique," which Google explains as issuing multiple related searches across subtopics and data sources to build a response and find supporting pages.

• Reporting: "Sites appearing in AI features (such as AI Overviews and AI Mode) are included in the overall search traffic in Search Console," under the Web search type.

The same page lists SEO basics Google says still apply, including "Ensuring that crawling is allowed in robots.txt, and by any CDN or hosting infrastructure," "Making your content easily findable through internal links on your website," "Making sure that important content is available in textual form," and "Making sure your structured data matches the visible text on the page."

That last point matters if you use schema. Markup should describe what is on the page, not add claims the reader cannot see. Our guide to schema markup for AI citations covers which types are worth adding.

What does query fan-out mean for your content?🔗

Query fan-out means Google may break one question into several related searches, so a page can be used because it answers one piece of the question well. Google describes it in the AI Mode announcement as "breaking down your question into subtopics and issuing a multitude of queries simultaneously on your behalf" (Google blog).

Take a buyer prompt like "best accounting software for a US landscaping company with 3 crews." Plausible sub-questions include pricing, job costing, mobile time tracking, QuickBooks integration and reviews from similar businesses. You cannot see exactly which searches Google runs, but you can make sure your site has a clear, indexed page for each sub-topic a buyer would care about:

• A pricing page with real numbers in text.

• Feature pages that name the job they do ("job costing for landscaping crews"), not just a product name.

• Integration pages for the tools your buyers already use.

• Comparison pages against named competitors, with a fair table.

• Case studies or customer stories with the customer's industry and location, if they agreed to be named.

How do you show up in the Gemini app?🔗

To show up in the Gemini app, you need your pages to be strong Google Search results for the question and you need to allow Google to use your content for grounding in Gemini Apps. The second part is easy to miss.

Google's crawler documentation says Google-Extended is a product token that controls whether content Google crawls "may be used for training future generations of Gemini models that power Gemini Apps and Vertex AI API for Gemini and for grounding in Gemini Apps and Grounding with Google Search on Vertex AI" (Google crawler docs). It also says "Google-Extended does not impact a site's inclusion in Google Search nor is it used as a ranking signal in Google Search."

In plain terms:

• Blocking Google-Extended in robots.txt keeps you in Google Search (including AI Overviews and AI Mode, per the AI features page), but tells Google not to use your content for Gemini training and Gemini Apps grounding.

• Allowing Google-Extended leaves the door open for the Gemini app to ground answers in your pages.

Some publishers block it on purpose to keep their content out of model training. That is a fair business decision. Just make it knowingly, because it is a different choice from blocking Googlebot.

For developers, Google's Gemini API documentation says "Grounding with Google Search connects the Gemini model to real-time web content," and that the model decides whether a search would improve the answer, then generates and runs queries (Google AI for Developers). That documents the API, not the consumer app, but it shows the general pattern: Gemini leans on Google Search results when it needs fresh information.

What should you fix first for Gemini and AI Mode?🔗

Fix indexing and crawl access first, then content clarity, then off-site signals. Here is a practical order.

1. Check indexing in Search Console. Use the Pages report and URL Inspection for your homepage, pricing, product and comparison pages. If a page is not indexed, it cannot be a supporting link.

2. Check for accidental snippet blocks. Google lists nosnippet, data-nosnippet, max-snippet and noindex as ways to limit how content appears in AI features (Google Search Central). Make sure none are set on pages you want used.

3. Check robots.txt and your CDN. Googlebot must be allowed. Decide on Google-Extended deliberately.

4. Put key facts in text. Pricing, service area, who you serve and what is included should be readable text, not only in images or PDFs.

5. Write pages for sub-questions. Use the fan-out list above.

6. Keep your brand description consistent. Use the same name and one-line description on your site, Google Business Profile (for local businesses), social profiles and directories.

7. Earn third-party mentions. Reviews, best-of lists and industry coverage give Google more pages that name you for your category.

Notice what is not on the list: an llms.txt file or an "AI version" of your site. Google states you do not need new AI text files to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode. An llms.txt file may help other tools, but it is not a Google requirement.

How do you measure visibility in AI Mode and Gemini?🔗

You measure AI Mode traffic through Search Console, where Google includes it in overall Web search performance, and you measure Gemini visibility by checking prompts manually. Google says AI feature traffic is part of the Web search type in Search Console, and Google does not offer a separate public AI Mode report in that documentation. That means you see the clicks, but not which ones came from AI Mode.

For mentions (whether your brand is named in the answer), use a fixed prompt list:

1. Write 15 to 25 buyer prompts in plain language.

2. Run them in AI Mode and in the Gemini app on a fixed schedule.

3. Record which brands are named and which sources are linked.

4. Note where a competitor is named and you are not, and look at the pages Google linked for that answer.

TrendlyAI tracks Google AI Overviews weekly, along with ChatGPT, Perplexity and Claude. It does not track Gemini or Google AI Mode, so for those you will need manual checks or another tool. TrendlyAI tracks its own domain and publishes its own score, and it is low, so I see the same gaps you will. You can run a free check on ChatGPT and Perplexity with 5 prompts, no signup.

For the same work on other assistants, see how to get your brand mentioned in ChatGPT and how to show up in Grok. For the full framework, visit our generative engine optimization hub.

Frequently asked questions🔗

Do I need special markup or an llms.txt file to appear in Google AI Mode?🔗

No. Google's AI features documentation says "You don't need to create new machine readable files, AI text files, or markup to appear in these features." Pages need to be indexed and eligible to show with a snippet. Structured data is still useful for regular Search, as long as it matches the visible text.

Does blocking Google-Extended remove my site from AI Overviews or AI Mode?🔗

Google's crawler documentation says Google-Extended does not affect inclusion in Google Search or ranking. It controls use of your content for Gemini model training and for grounding in Gemini Apps and Vertex AI. To limit how content appears in AI Overviews and AI Mode, Google points to snippet controls and noindex instead.

Can I see AI Mode traffic separately in Search Console?🔗

According to Google's AI features page, traffic from AI Overviews and AI Mode is included in the overall Web search type in the Search Console Performance report. Google's documentation does not describe a separate AI Mode filter there.

Does TrendlyAI track Gemini or AI Mode?🔗

No. TrendlyAI tracks Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity and Claude. It does not track Gemini, Google AI Mode, Grok, Copilot or Meta AI.

Is ranking in Google enough to show up in Gemini?🔗

Strong Google rankings help, because Gemini can ground answers in Google Search. They are not a guarantee. The Gemini app also draws on model knowledge, not every answer includes sources, and blocking Google-Extended stops your content from being used for grounding in Gemini Apps.

Related reading🔗

• Google AI Overviews optimization

• GEO vs SEO in 2026

• How to get your brand mentioned in ChatGPT