How LLMs Search the Web
Query fan out is the process where an LLM takes a single prompt and breaks it into multiple smaller searches to gather fresh, up to date information from the web. Because tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity do not maintain a separate search index like Google does, they often rely on search engine results to source and verify current information. To do that, they connect to the web via APIs and transform your prompt into a set of related queries. Those separate searches are the query fan outs.
Optimizing for these fan outs is a big part of what people call GEO. But the truth is that it is closely tied to traditional SEO, because the fan outs usually run through search engines and web sources.
Ways to Spot Query Fan-Outs
Query fan outs often look different from normal human searches. They are usually long tail, and they can look like jumbled jargon or keyword stuffed phrases. Once you spot a few in Google Search Console, they become easier to recognize.
A simple method is filtering queries with a regex like (\b\w+\b\s){7,} to find searches that are 7 or more words long. Then start sifting for patterns. Extremely long queries with 0 clicks but a lot of impressions can be a strong signal that you are seeing fan out behavior.
Why This Matters for GEO/SEO
If LLMs are using search results to answer questions, then your ability to show up in those results is what determines whether you get included. That is why GEO is often just SEO repackaged. The work is still about creating the right pages, filling content gaps, building topical authority, and earning credibility so you are eligible to surface across more of those fan out searches.