Your pages rank. They're just not getting cited.

We map the query fan-out cluster around your 5 priority pages, the related sub-questions ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini, and Perplexity actually run behind a search, and hand back exactly what's missing. Flat fee, no retainer, done in about a week.

Request a fan-out audit
Fan-Out Audit · flat $500

A Fan-Out Audit maps the cluster of related sub-questions AI engines run behind up to 5 of your priority pages, then shows you exactly which ones your site already answers, which are missing, and which a competitor currently wins. It's the diagnostic step before deciding what to fix.

Here's the part that trips people up: AI search engines don't just check whether you rank for one keyword anymore. Google has confirmed this directly, its systems run a batch of related searches behind the scenes, called query fan-out, before writing a single answer. The sources that get cited are the ones that show up across that whole cluster, not just the ones that rank first for the head term.

So a page can rank reasonably well and still never get cited, because it only answers the headline question and misses the cost question, the comparison question, the specific-condition question sitting right behind it. That gap is invisible from the outside. You'd need to know what the AI is actually asking to see it.

The gaps that don't show up in a normal audit.

These are the patterns that keep a well-built page from getting cited, and none of them show up if you're only checking whether a page ranks.

01 /

The page answers the headline question and stops there.

It covers the main service, and nothing else. No cost question, no comparison question, no condition-specific follow-up. An AI engine running fan-out behind that search checks all of those, and a page that only answers one of them is only in the running for a fraction of the cluster.

02 /

A competitor is winning the exact sub-question you're missing.

Not the head term, a specific follow-up question. It's invisible unless you know to check for it, which is the entire reason a normal audit misses this and a fan-out audit doesn't.

03 /

A brand-new page competing against pages with real history.

A new page starts at zero on every sub-question in the cluster simultaneously. An existing page with some authority only needs one well-placed section to close a gap. Knowing which is which changes whether the fix is "add a section" or "this needs its own page."

04 /

Schema exists, but it doesn't cover what's actually being asked.

FAQ schema built around guesses instead of the real sub-questions an AI engine runs. Technically present, functionally useless for the gaps that actually matter.

05 /

Nobody's checked what the AI is actually asking behind the search.

Most content planning still optimizes for one target keyword. Fan-out means the real target is a cluster of related questions, and without mapping it, every content decision is a guess.

The process, step by step.

This is our actual internal SOP, not a marketing summary of it. Here's exactly what happens to each of your 5 priority pages.

01 / Candidate check

We confirm each page is ready for this

Already indexed, some existing ranking history, tied to a real service. A page with no history yet has nothing for the tool to map against, so we flag it and swap in your next-priority page before doing any billable work.

02 / Fan-out mapping

We map the sub-question cluster per page

The related searches an AI engine runs behind your target keyword, before it writes an answer, mapped against what your page currently covers.

03 / Four outputs

Coverage scorecard, gaps, and a roadmap

What's already strong, which clusters are weak or missing entirely, priority opportunities ranked by impact, and whether each gap is better solved by updating the existing page or building a new one.

04 / Guardrail filter

Every gap gets tested before it makes the list

Does it deserve its own page or belong on the existing one? Can we add something genuinely original, real data, your point of view, not filler? Gaps that fail either test get dropped instead of padding the report.

05 / Written report

A gap map and roadmap for each page

Prioritized, plain language, no jargon. You'll know exactly what's missing, why it matters, and what order to fix it in, whether you have us do the work or hand it to someone else.

06 / Baseline & recheck

We log where you stand before and after

Baseline citation status logged for each page before anything changes, plus one 2-week recheck across ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini, and Perplexity so you know if the gaps that got closed actually moved anything.

How each platform actually runs the fan-out.

Google has been the most explicit about this mechanism publicly, but the underlying pattern shows up across every major platform, just with different emphasis on what gets pulled in.

Google AI Overviews and AI Mode run it most explicitly.

Google has confirmed the technique runs across AI Overviews, AI Mode, and Deep Search, expanding a search into related subtopics before compiling an answer. If a page only covers the head term, it's competing for a fraction of what Google is actually checking.

Gemini generates extra queries to fill in missing context.

When a prompt needs information beyond what the model already knows, Gemini can generate additional search queries automatically, the same underlying logic, just less publicly documented.

ChatGPT and Perplexity run comparable retrieval behind the scenes.

Both issue multiple related searches when a prompt needs current or specific information, then compile a single answer from whichever sources covered the most ground. Different implementation, same practical effect: one page answering one question is competing against pages answering the whole cluster.

The reason a fan-out audit moves visibility across all four at once is that they're all drawing on some version of the same mechanism. Closing a real gap in the cluster helps regardless of which platform someone happens to ask.

One price. No retainer.

We priced this to be an easy yes. It's a real, scoped diagnostic, not a vague strategy engagement.

Fan-Out Audit

$500 flat, up to 5 pages

The full process above, run against your 5 priority pages, delivered in about a week from the day your pages are confirmed. One invoice, no contract, no monthly anything.

  • Candidate check, fan-out mapping, and guardrail-filtered gap list for up to 5 pages
  • Written report with a prioritized roadmap per page
  • Baseline citation status logged, plus one 2-week recheck
  • $250 credited toward Foundation Fix or Full Visibility Build if you start one within 60 days

Not sure whether you need this or something bigger? Send the form anyway. We'll check your pages and tell you straight, and if a free visibility check is the better starting point we'll say so.

Who this is for, and who it isn't.

Being upfront about scope saves everybody a call.

This is a good fit if

  • You already have a live website with some pages ranking or getting traffic
  • You know which 3-5 pages or services actually drive your business
  • You want a specific, prioritized list of what's missing before spending on a bigger project
  • You ran the free Visibility Check, found gaps, and want to know exactly why

Something else is a better fit if

  • You don't have a website yet, in which case Foundation Start builds one from scratch
  • You don't know if you're showing up in AI search at all yet. Run the free Visibility Check first, no reason to pay before you know
  • You already know it all needs work, not just a few pages, in which case Full Visibility Build or Foundation Fix covers the whole site
  • You just need Google Business Profile cleaned up, which is Profile Fix, the $500 tier for that specifically
Option Price Best for
Fan-Out Audit $500 You have pages that rank but aren't cited. Up to 5 pages, a gap map, and a roadmap.
Profile Fix $500 Your profile exists but it's incomplete. One location, one cleanup, done.
Foundation Start $1,300 You're starting from nothing. Profile setup plus a lead-capture website, both built from scratch.
Foundation Fix $1,000–$1,350 A free audit found gaps across your profile and your website. Scoped after the audit.
Full Visibility Build $2,200–$2,550 A complete overhaul across profile, website, entity authority, and AI search visibility.

Things people ask before getting started.

What is a Fan-Out Audit?

It maps the query fan-out cluster around up to 5 of your priority pages, the related sub-questions ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini, and Perplexity run behind a search before answering. You get a written gap map showing what each page already answers, what it's missing, and a prioritized roadmap for closing the gaps. Read what query fan-out actually is if you want the full mechanism first.

How much does a Fan-Out Audit cost?

Flat $500 for up to 5 priority pages. No monthly retainer, no contract. If you later move up to Foundation Fix or Full Visibility Build within 60 days, $250 of that applies as credit.

How do you decide which pages to audit?

You tell us your 3-5 highest-priority pages or services at intake. We check each one against our candidate criteria, already indexed, some ranking history, tied to a real service, before running anything. A page that doesn't qualify yet gets flagged and swapped for your next priority, before you're charged.

Does this replace a full AI visibility audit?

No. This is a focused, page-level diagnostic. Full AI Search Visibility covers the whole site, Google Business Profile, schema, entity signals, and content gaps across every page, not just the ones submitted for a Fan-Out Audit.

Do you work with businesses outside St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay?

Yes. We're based in St. Petersburg and we know this market best, but this work is done remotely and we take clients anywhere in the US.

Who actually does the work?

The same person who scopes it. No account managers, no handoffs, nothing sent offshore. You can read more about how we work.

Last updated: August 8, 2026
Source: What is query fan-out? Answer Visible Field Manual, 2026

Not sure where you stand yet? Start free.

If you don't know whether you're showing up in AI search at all, run the free Visibility Check first. If you already know something's off and want to know exactly what, the Fan-Out Audit is the faster path.

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