- Google says there are no extra requirements for AI Mode beyond being indexed and eligible to show with a snippet.
- AI Mode may run many related searches for one question, so cover the whole decision, not one keyword.
- Measure with a fixed prompt set, because Search Console does not separate AI Mode traffic by default.
AI Mode is Google's conversational search experience. People ask longer questions, then keep asking follow ups. Many guides about it repeat advice without saying what is documented and what is a guess. This one separates the two.
What Google documents
- No additional requirements and no special optimizations beyond the basics of SEO.
- A page must be indexed and eligible to show with a snippet.
- No special schema, and no AI text files, are needed.
- Structured data must match the visible text.
- Query fan out: one question can trigger several related searches across subtopics and data sources.
- Traffic from these features is included in the Web search type in Search Console.
What that means for your pages
If one question becomes five searches, a page can be cited for a sub question without ranking for the main phrase. So plan around the whole decision. For a service page, that means price range, who it suits, how long it takes, risks and alternatives, all on the page that should own the topic.
A method you can repeat
- Pick a buying question from sales calls or Search Console queries that are long and specific.
- Split it into the sub questions a buyer would also need answered.
- Map each sub question to one page. Do not create a page per variant.
- Write answer first, then evidence, then a table or steps.
- Check technical access: indexable, fast, not blocked.
- Add proof: named sources, dates and real examples.
How to measure
Run the same fifteen prompts monthly in AI Mode from the market you care about, three runs each. Record: shown at all, cited with a link, described correctly, and which competitors appear. Search Console will still show total clicks and impressions, but you cannot isolate AI Mode in it by default.
| Metric | Where from | Caution |
|---|---|---|
| Citation rate | Your prompt log | Report as runs, such as 4 of 15 |
| Impressions and clicks | Search Console | Combined with other Web search results |
| Answer accuracy | Your prompt log | Needs a human reviewer |
Mistakes to avoid
- Publishing dozens of near duplicate city or keyword pages.
- Claiming results in the first week.
- Marking up information that readers cannot see.
Related reading: the AI Overviews guide and our GEO service.