10 Ways to Get Your Brand Cited in Google Gemini

Last updated: 29 October 2026

Gemini is Google’s assistant, available as an app, in Chrome, in Android and across Google Workspace. When it needs current information it can use Grounding with Google Search, pulling pages from Google’s index into its answer and linking to them. That means Gemini rewards much of the same work as Google Search and AI Overviews, with a few differences worth knowing.

1. Get indexed and eligible in Google Search

Google says a page needs to be indexed and eligible for a snippet to appear in its AI features, with no extra technical requirements. Check indexing in Search Console and fix crawl, noindex and canonical problems first.

2. Check your Google-Extended setting

Google-Extended is a robots.txt token that controls whether Google may use your content for Gemini model training and for grounding in Gemini apps. Blocking it does not affect Google Search rankings, but it can stop Gemini apps from using your pages when grounding answers. If you want Gemini citations, do not block it without weighing that trade-off.

3. Answer questions directly

Open each important page with a direct answer to its main question, then expand. Gemini’s answers, like AI Overviews, are built from passages that state facts clearly. See our answer-first content guide.

4. Keep Google Business Profile complete

For local questions, Gemini draws on Google’s local data. A complete, accurate Business Profile with categories, services, hours, photos and reviews is essential. Google’s AI features guidance specifically mentions keeping Business Profile information current.

5. Keep Merchant Center feeds accurate

For product questions, Google recommends keeping Merchant Center information up to date. Accurate prices, availability and product attributes help shopping answers in Gemini and AI Mode.

6. Publish on YouTube

YouTube is one of the domains Gemini and Google’s AI features cite most. Short, well-titled videos that answer specific questions, with accurate descriptions, chapters and captions, give Gemini another way to reference you. Our YouTube for AEO guide covers the details.

7. Earn mentions on Reddit, Wikipedia and review sites

Studies summarised by Contently in 2026 listed Reddit, YouTube, Wikipedia, Medium and Forbes as Gemini’s most cited domains. You cannot control those sites, but you can earn honest mentions through customers, PR and community participation. See Reddit for AEO and our review sites list.

8. Make your entity clear

Use one consistent name, description and set of facts across your website, Business Profile, LinkedIn, Wikipedia or Wikidata where appropriate, and directories. Organization schema with sameAs links to official profiles helps connect them. Our entity SEO service focuses on this.

9. Keep content in readable text

Google asks site owners to keep important content in text form, use internal links and keep structured data consistent with visible text. Facts hidden in images, PDFs or scripts are less likely to be used.

10. Track Gemini prompts separately

Gemini’s answers can differ from AI Overviews and AI Mode, which Google says may use different models. Include Gemini in your prompt tracking, and watch referral traffic from gemini.google.com in GA4.

Gemini, AI Overviews and AI Mode compared

For Google’s search surfaces, see our guides to AI Overviews optimization and Google AI Mode SEO.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• AI features and your website, Google Search Central, updated December 2025
• Google common crawlers, including Google-Extended, Google Search Central
• Top 10 sources LLMs cite most in 2026, Contently, April 2026