AI Mode, Query Fan-Out and Preferred Sources

On July 10, 2026, Google finished rolling out AI Mode as the default way it answers search queries, running on the Gemini 3.5 Flash model. This is not a new box added above the usual results - it replaced them as the default for most searches, with the classic ten blue links now living further down the page.

AI Mode also works differently under the hood. Instead of matching your page against one search term, it often breaks a single query into several related sub-questions - a technique called query fan-out - answers each one separately, then merges the results. A page that covers only the exact phrase someone might search for can lose out to a page that also answers the two or three questions people naturally ask alongside it. This is another reason to cover a topic's related sub-questions, not just its main keyword.

Google also expanded a feature called Preferred Sources into AI Overviews and AI Mode in May 2026. A signed-in user can manually star a site they trust at google.com/preferences/source. From then on, that site's links get a visible "Preferred" label and are shown more often to that user across Top Stories, AI Overviews and AI Mode. There is no schema or code to add - it is entirely reader-driven - so the only real lever is asking your regular visitors, subscribers or customers to add you.