How to Get Your Brand Recommended by Gemini
Gemini answers from what its model learned and, for some questions, from Google Search results it retrieves at the time (grounding). To get recommended, be easy for Google to find and read, leave Google-Extended allowed if you want Gemini to be able to use your pages, state your facts clearly on your own site, and get into the roundups and review sites Gemini leans on. In Citepoint's October 2026 index, Zapier and G2 each appeared in 8% of Gemini's answers.
Key takeaways
- Google says some Gemini responses are grounded on Search results, so being findable in Google Search feeds Gemini.
- Google-Extended controls both Gemini training and grounding in the Gemini app. It doesn't affect Google Search, but blocking it can keep your pages out of Gemini's answers.
- Gemini cited 9.2 sources per answer in Citepoint's index, the most of the three engines tested, and only 27% pointed at the recommended brands' own sites.
- Gemini, AI Overviews and AI Mode are different surfaces with different citation habits. Check each one.
How does Gemini decide what to recommend?
Gemini works from two places: what the model learned in training, and Google Search. Google's Gemini Apps documentation says some Gemini responses are grounded on Search results, and that Gemini can always use public information from Google Search, even when you're signed out.
Google describes the mechanism most precisely for developers using the Gemini API. With the Google Search tool on, the model analyzes the prompt and determines whether a Google Search can improve the answer. If so, it generates one or more search queries, processes the results and writes a response with citations. Google doesn't publish a rule for which questions the consumer app grounds, so test your own.
Gemini isn't the only Google AI surface, and the controls differ:
| Surface | Where answers come from | What controls your presence |
|---|---|---|
| Gemini app | The model, plus Search grounding for some responses | Whether Google can find and read your pages, and Google-Extended |
| AI Overviews and AI Mode | The Search index, through grounding and query fan-out | The Search generative AI setting in Search Console, plus Googlebot and snippet controls |
| Gemini API with Grounding with Google Search | Search results the model decides to retrieve | Google-Extended covers grounding on Vertex AI |
What does Gemini cite for software buying questions?
In October 2026, Citepoint's AI Recommendation Index asked Gemini 320 buyer questions across 16 software categories. Compared with the other engines in the index:
| Engine | Citations per answer | Share pointing at the recommended brands' own sites |
|---|---|---|
| Gemini | 9.2 | 27% |
| Google AI Overviews | 6.4 | 21% |
| ChatGPT | 3.7 | 70% |
Gemini's leading third-party sources were Zapier (8% of answers), G2 (8%) and The Digital Project Manager (6%). In plain terms, Gemini reads a lot of pages per answer and a large share are "best apps" roundups and review sites. Winning there means being on those pages, not only publishing your own. The full breakdown is in the sources AI cites most. The data covers software buying questions in US English for one month.
Should you block Google-Extended?
Think before you do. Google's crawler documentation describes Google-Extended as a standalone token for managing whether content Google crawls may be used to train future Gemini models, and for grounding in the Gemini apps and in Grounding with Google Search on Vertex AI. It has no separate user agent string, and Google says it doesn't impact a site's inclusion in Google Search and isn't a ranking signal.
Because Google's description covers both training and grounding, a block is meant to cover both. If you want Gemini to be able to use your pages when it answers, leave Google-Extended allowed. If you block it as part of a blanket "no AI training" rule, you may be opting out of more than you meant to. The full picture is in robots.txt for AI crawlers.
How do you get recommended by Gemini?
- Be findable in Google. Gemini's grounding draws on Search, so the basics apply: Googlebot can crawl the page, it's indexed and no snippet control is hiding it.
- Keep Google-Extended allowed if you want Gemini to be able to use your content.
- Make your own pages the clearest source. More than a quarter of Gemini's citations went to brands' own sites. Publish answer-first pages with current prices, limits and a fair comparison table. See how to write content AI quotes.
- Get into the roundups and review sites it cites. Find which ones appear for your questions, keep your G2 profile complete, and give roundup authors a reason to include you. See review sites and AI visibility.
- Keep your facts consistent. Prices, plans and key features should match across your site, profiles and listings, so Gemini isn't choosing between versions.
- Check it regularly. Ask your buyer questions in the Gemini app, several times, and count how often you're named. Citepoint checks the Gemini app every day.
How do you get into the roundups Gemini reads?
- Find them. Ask each of your buyer questions in Gemini and open the sources it cites. Note the roundups and review pages that appear.
- Check their criteria. Many list who qualifies, such as a pricing range or a feature set. Only pitch where you fit.
- Give the author something useful: current pricing, a correction, a trial account. Say who you are.
- Don't fake it. Google's guide says seeking inauthentic mentions isn't as helpful as it seems. Earn the mention, and disclose any paid or exchanged placement.
What mistakes should you avoid?
- Treating Gemini like AI Overviews. In the same index, AI Overviews cited Reddit in half of answers, while Gemini leaned on roundups and review sites.
- Blocking Google-Extended by accident alongside other AI training crawlers.
- Only improving your own site. Gemini reads roundups. If you're missing from them, a competitor gets the mention.
- Judging from one answer. Answers vary from run to run. Measure shares across many answers. See why AI answers change.
Frequently asked questions
Does Gemini use Google Search?
Google says some Gemini responses are grounded on Search results, and that Gemini can always use public information from Google Search. For the Gemini API, Google says the model decides whether a search would improve an answer.
Does blocking Google-Extended hurt my Google rankings?
No. Google says Google-Extended doesn't impact a site's inclusion in Google Search and isn't used as a ranking signal. It does govern whether your content can be used to train Gemini models and to ground answers in the Gemini apps.
Is Gemini the same as Google AI Overviews?
No. They are different surfaces. Google says AI Overviews and AI Mode may use different models and techniques, and Citepoint's data shows different citation habits for each, with Gemini leaning on roundups and review sites.
How do I check whether Gemini recommends me?
Ask the questions your buyers ask in the Gemini app, repeat them over several days and count how often your brand is named. A single answer isn't a measurement.
Do I need to be in Google's top results to be recommended?
Google doesn't say. What it does say is that Gemini can ground on Search results, so being easy for Google to find and read helps. Being named in the roundups Gemini cites matters too.