Query fan-out
Query fan-out is a technique in which an AI search system breaks one question into several related searches, gathers results for each, and combines them into a single answer.
Example
A question such as "best running shoes for flat feet" might fan out into searches like "running shoes with arch support," "stability vs neutral running shoes" and "running shoes for overpronation reviews." The engine can then draw sources from each search and weave them into one response.
Where the term comes from
Google's documentation on AI features says AI Overviews and AI Mode may use a query fan-out technique, "issuing multiple related searches across subtopics and data sources" to develop a response. The term is now used more widely for any AI system that turns one prompt into several searches.
Why it matters
With fan-out, your content can be evaluated separately for each sub-search, not just for the words a person typed. A page that covers the cluster of related questions on a topic, with each answer in a self-contained block, can match more of those searches than a page built around a single phrase.
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