Summary
And why smart SEO in 2025 means thinking like an AI model, not a search bar
If you’re still building SEO strategy around “target keywords,” you’re already behind.
Google’s search experience is changing fast — and quietly, the real game has shifted to query fan-out.
Instead of surfacing one answer, search engines are now interpreting intent across dozens of semantically connected sub-questions — and answering those in the AI overview.
In other words: You’re not ranking unless your content hits the supporting context the model is trained to expect.
And unless you’re explicitly mapping that context into your content, you’re leaving trust, traffic, and topical authority on the table.
So What Is Query Fan-Out?
When a user asks a question in search — or in AI mode — the system doesn’t just look for exact-match answers. It fans out. (It’s kind of like People Also Ask, but on steroids.)
Meaning:
- It interprets the original query
- It maps potential follow-up or clarifying questions
- It retrieves and blends answers from multiple sources
- It evaluates how well your content addresses those related intents
So even if your title matches the query, your content structure, clarity, and subtopic coverage are what determines if you’re pulled into the AI result set.
Why Most Content Misses the Mark
Traditional SEO taught us to:
- Pick a keyword
- Write 1,500–2,000 words around it
- Cluster internal links and optimize on-page elements
But that structure rarely accounts for:
- The questions behind the query
- Real-world user flow
- AI interpretation patterns
- Nuanced, problem-aware language models
You can rank with a great headline — and still get ignored by Gemini, SGE, or other AI summaries. Why?
Because your content doesn’t answer the full fan-out. (I’ve always been a fan of long-form, fully-fleshed out content. Short form became trendy. Now those of us who loved that in-depth, high-value content are winning again!)
The Screaming Frog + Gemini Hack (And Why It’s Brilliant)
Recently, SEO strategist Metehan Yeşilyurt published a powerful workaround:
A script that uses Screaming Frog + the Gemini API to simulate AI-driven query fan-out. Metehan’s thinking really is brilliant because he’s getting us as close to the true fan as possible at the moment.
With a few config changes and a JS injection, the tool he created returns:
- ~8 potential fan-out queries
- Matching insights on whether your content covers them
- Recommendations for how to close the gap
It’s not perfect, mind you. But it’s a game-changer — especially for marketers who want to write for people while still optimizing for AI logic.
If Screaming Frog isn’t already in your toolbox, go buy it now. It’s been an SEO essential for over a decade.
Want to approximate query fan-out without fancy tools?
Try this:
Take your core topic and run it through the classic journalistic questions:
Who, What, Where, When, Why, How, and How Much.
Then, and this is the key, take every answer you generate…
and ask those same questions again.
This recursive questioning reveals:
- Subtopics your audience is actually thinking about
- Long-tail queries AI models may surface
- Contextual gaps in your current content
It’s manual. But it’s wildly effective at expanding your coverage, deepening intent, and making your content AI- and user-resilient.
If you can’t anticipate the second and third questions your reader will have, AI won’t surface you — and your audience won’t trust you.
Think of query fan outs like being interrogated by a curious 3-year-old. You answer one question — and the next one is always, “But why?” And then, “How?” And then, “What happens if…?” That’s how AI models think. Your content needs to be ready for all the follow-ups — not just the first one. (Parents might have the upper hand in this tactic!)
Why Strategy Still Beats Scripts
I’ll say it plainly:
You don’t need every tool. You need better clarity on what your audience is actually trying to solve.
At Sterling Phoenix, I use AI to amplify — not automate — SEO systems. That means:
- Designing outlines based on fan-out patterns
- Using AI to simulate what real buyers ask in context
- Writing like a strategist, not a machine
Because at the end of the day, content isn’t just about ranking. It’s about resonating — with both the algorithm and the person on the other end of it. (The world has enough bad content, so make sure you’re doing your very best for both.)
TL;DR
- Query fan-out is how AI-driven search interprets user intent
- Your content must answer not just one query — but the 5–10 surrounding it
- Tools like Screaming Frog + Gemini can help simulate what matters
- But your strategy is still what makes it connect
The future of search is smarter. Let’s build for it.
