Fan-Out LLM: the key to understanding and influencing AI responses

With the rise of AI search engines (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude...), a new form of optimization is exploding: GEO (Generative Engine Optimization).
The principle: optimize your presence not in the SERP... but in the AI-generated answers.

To understand how models build their responses, there is now a strategic piece of data:
the Fan-Out.

It’s one of the most powerful signals to understand the true intent behind a query — and to influence what AIs will generate.

In this article, we’ll explore:

• what a Fan-Out is (in simple terms),
• how to retrieve it for free with AreYouMention,
• how to use it to boost your GEO and appear more frequently in AI answers.

1. The Fan-Out: a new key data point for GEO

To generate a response, an AI doesn’t simply read the user’s question.
It proceeds in several steps:

1. breaking down the query into sub-queries,
2. exploring sources,
3. aggregating information,
4. synthesizing.

These sub-queries generated by the AI are what we refer to as:

The Fan-Out (or AI sub-query tree)

Example:
User query: “best padel racket”

Fan-Out generated by the AI:

• “padel rackets comparison 2025”
• “Nox AT10 Elite player reviews”
• “Bullpadel Vertex 03 Control test”
• “high-end racket prices”
• “how to choose a padel racket for beginners”

The value is immediately clear: the Fan-Out reveals what the AI considers important to answer the query.

It’s a goldmine to adjust:

• your content,
• your editorial strategy,
• your sources,
• your links,
• your entities.

In short: it’s a major GEO tool.

2. Where to retrieve Fan-Outs? (for free, even)

Good news: you can now get Fan-Outs from AreYouMention, for free.

The Fan-Out feature is directly integrated into the mentions results.

For each tracked query, AreYouMention displays:

• the tree of sub-queries generated by the LLMs,
• the full structure of “secondary questions”,
• associated intents (awareness → decision),
• a ready-to-use analysis for your content or GEO strategy.

How to access it?

1. Go to areyoumention.com.
2. Log in to your account (or create a free one).
3. Launch an analysis on:
   • a keyword,
   • your brand name,
   • a competitor,
   • a business intent.
4. Open the mentions results.
5. Access the “AI Fan-Out” tab to see all the sub-queries used by the models.

You can even export or copy/paste the Fan-Out for use in HyperTools or your CMS.

3. How to use Fan-Outs to improve your GEO?

The Fan-Out can be used in several strategic and very practical ways. Here are the most effective approaches.

3.1 – Identify the hidden intents behind a query

Each sub-query corresponds to an AI reasoning block.

Example:

• “high-end padel racket prices” → transactional intent,
• “Nox AT10 Elite player reviews” → social proof,
• “2025 racket comparison” → authority content.

This allows you to map the AI’s actual reasoning path and align your content accordingly.

3.2 – Detect missing pages on your site

If a Fan-Out sub-query is not covered by any of your pages, you have a direct editorial opportunity.

Typical examples:

• “best X for Y”
• “comparison X vs Y”
• “how to choose X”
• “beginner’s guide to X”

Creating a new page or enriching an existing one may be enough to earn an AI mention.
You can then send those ideas into HyperTools to quickly create those pages.

3.3 – Understand which entities the AI expects

Fan-Outs often highlight:

• brands,
• models,
• years,
• technical features,
• key arguments.

These entities must appear in your content, otherwise the AI has little reason to mention you.

3.4 – Guide your “AI-First” link building

If the Fan-Out shows that the AI relies on comparisons from certain types of sites (media, comparison sites, expert blogs...):

You know where to publish your content (guest posts, advertorials, sponsored content, etc.).

You can combine this with HyperLinker to select the sites:

• most credible to AIs,
• most closely related to the topic,
• already cited in AI responses.

3.5 – Optimize your presence in existing AI answers

If you already appear in a response, the Fan-Out reveals why

You can then reinforce:

• the right keywords,
• the right pages,
• the right entities,
• the right sources.

4. The Fan-Out: a unique GEO lever, simple... and now accessible

With AI engines, classic SEO is no longer enough.
AIs build answers based on internal intentions that we couldn’t see — until now.

Thanks to AreYouMention’s Fan-Outs, you can finally:

• understand how models reason,
• analyze real user intents,
• deeply adjust your content,
• identify new opportunities,
• influence your brand's presence in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and more.

And all of this, for free.

The Fan-Out is probably the most revealing data point on how generative AIs work.
It lets you understand exactly how a model breaks down, interprets, and builds a response.

With Fan-Outs integrated into AreYouMention:

• you gain a clear edge over the competition,
• you can structure your content based on AI expectations,
• you can steer your GEO in a smart, actionable way.

If you haven’t tested it yet, now’s the time.
And if you want to go even further, HyperLinker helps turn those GEO insights into concrete actions (content, link building, AI-first sources).