What is Query Fan Out?
When a user enters a query in ChatGPT or any LLM, the AI engine does not usually execute a single search, but rather multiple queries in parallel to different sources (search engines, specialized APIs, databases).
This process is known as Query Fan Out, with the goal of increasing the chances of finding relevant information, and adding more competition between sources.
For GEO/LLMO, this means that the same prompt can generate dozens of opportunities for citations.