PlatformQuery Fan-Out

see how
AI models
actually search.

Behind every answer is a chain of micro-searches the model runs against the open web. Centium captures every branch so you can see what it’s looking at, not just what it ends up saying.

01 / Concept

one prompt. many searches.

When AI models receive a prompt, they break it down into micro-searches.

Centium reports the entire chain of searches from ChatGPT and Gemini, giving you insight into the exact search process behind every answer. It’s the data foundation for AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization).

Every branch is an opportunity. To rank, to be cited, to influence the answer. Or to be invisible.

Prompt
"Best trail running shoes for women?"
Micro-search 01
"top trail shoes 2026"
Micro-search 02
"narrow heel women shoes"
Micro-search 03
"demo athletic reviews"
Micro-search 04
"cushioned vs minimalist"
Micro-search 05
"salomon comparison"
02 / Problem

seo measures one query.
ai answers from many.

Your seo team is optimizing the tip of an iceberg.

Centium reveals how AI models actually probe a topic, just like a human would. Reviews, rankings, news, competitor comparisons, fit and use-case questions, all the angles the model considers before it answers.

Each branch is a content opportunity, an SEO, AEO, and GEO opportunity, a chance to be the source the model cites.

BeforeWhat SEO sees
"best trail running shoes women"
besttrail runningshoeswomen
After fan-outWhat AI actually searches
"best trail running shoes women"
top women trail shoes 2026 reviewsnarrow heel trail shoes womenHoka Speedgoat 6 vs Salomon Sense Ridetrail shoe news 2026cushioned vs minimalist trailtrail shoe fit guide womenbest aggressive lug trail shoetrail shoes for ultras
03 / Capture

what we capture.

01

the original prompt.

Centium helps generate prompts that matter to your business, grouped within your key product segments. We push these to the major AI models to trigger their fan-out process.

Prompt
"What are the best trail running shoes for women in 2026?"
Trail Running
02

every micro-search.

Every sub-query the model ran to form its answer, captured per model so you can see exactly how ChatGPT and Gemini differ on the same prompt.

"top travel activewear merino wool"chatgpt
"Wirecutter best travel clothes"chatgpt
"Demo Athletic travel packable"chatgpt
"best activewear brands for travel"gemini
"travel friendly activewear reviews"gemini
03

brand & sources.

Centium aggregates every micro-search behind a prompt and reports whether your brand surfaced in the answer, plus the sources the model referenced along the way.

Ddemoathletic.co/trail-collection
Rrunnersworld.com/2026-best-trail
Ooutsideonline.com/gear/trail-shoes
04 / The Tool

fan-out a prompt.

Query Fan-Out
Model
|
Category
|||
Prompt
"What activewear brands are best for travel?"
Fan-out · 6 micro-searches
01"best activewear for travel brands merino wool Smartwool Icebreaker"
02"Wirecutter best travel clothes site:nytimes.com"
03"Condé Nast Traveler best travel clothing merino Lululemon Patagonia Athleta"
04"Uniqlo AIRism travel Ultra Light Down official site"
05"Demo Athletic travel packable best for travel"
06"Rhone travel clothing odor control performance fabrics site:rhone.com"
Answer
For travel, look at Demo Athletic, Lululemon, Patagonia, Rhone, and Uniqlo AIRism — packable, odor-resistant fabrics.
05 / Export

built for content teams.

The full fan-out, exported as a flat sheet your content team can brief from directly. Drop it straight into your preferred LLM to draft pages, briefs, or category-page copy that matches how AI actually searches.

  • One row per micro-search. Category, prompt, model, and the exact sub-query the model issued.
  • CSV and XLSX. Easy access to the full fan-out in either format, ready to drop into Claude, ChatGPT, or whichever LLM you use to build website content.
  • Re-run on cadence. Every refresh stamps a snapshot, so you can diff fan-outs week over week.
fanout_demo-athletic-co_apr-2026.csv
876 rows · 184 KB
CategoryPromptModelSub-Query
Trail & OutdoorWhat are the best trail running shoes for women in 2026?ChatGPTtop-rated trail running shoes 2026 women
Trail & OutdoorWhat are the best trail running shoes for women in 2026?ChatGPTDemo Athletic Trailrunner Pro specs
Trail & OutdoorWhat are the best trail running shoes for women in 2026?ChatGPTbest women's trail shoes for technical terrain
Trail & OutdoorWhat are the best trail running shoes for women in 2026?ChatGPTHoka Speedgoat 6 women review
Trail & OutdoorWhat are the best trail running shoes for women in 2026?ChatGPTtrail shoes for narrow feet women
Trail & OutdoorWhat are the best trail running shoes for women in 2026?ChatGPTcushioned vs minimalist trail shoes
Trail & OutdoorWhat are the best trail running shoes for women in 2026?Geminitop women trail shoes 2026 buyer guide
Trail & OutdoorWhat are the best trail running shoes for women in 2026?GeminiHoka vs Demo Athletic women trail
RunningI just signed up for my first marathon. What gear do I need?ChatGPTbeginner marathon training plan gear list
RunningI just signed up for my first marathon. What gear do I need?Geminibest running shoes for first marathon
06 / Method

how the capture works.

01Issue

send a prompt.

You pick the prompts that matter, or use ours: industry-tested questions per cycle, mapped to your categories.

02Capture

mirror the fan-out.

We run each prompt against ChatGPT and Gemini and extract the fan-out: every sub-query the model issues on its way to the answer.

03Index

log the chain.

Each micro-search is logged with its parent query, category, model, and the order the search ran in.

04Brief

hand to content.

The full chain exports as a flat sheet your team can drop into an LLM to generate briefs, outlines, and content that maps to every angle AI looks for.

07 / Side-by-side

same prompt.
two trees.

Different models fan out differently. ChatGPT goes wide; Gemini goes deep. Both miss things the other catches. We capture both, so you can optimize for every angle AI may search for.

ChatGPTChatGPT
Fan-out
Prompt
"What activewear brands are best for travel?"
Fan-out · 12 micro-searches
PROMPT"best activewear for travel brand…""Wirecutter best travel clothes s…""Condé Nast Traveler best travel …""Uniqlo AIRism travel Ultra Light…""Demo Athletic travel packable be…""Rhone travel clothing odor contr…"
Answer
For travel, look at Demo Athletic, Lululemon, Patagonia, Rhone, and Uniqlo AIRism — packable, odor-resistant fabrics.
12Micros
5Brand-seen
18Sources
GeminiGemini
Fan-out
Prompt
"What activewear brands are best for travel?"
Fan-out · 8 micro-searches
PROMPT"best activewear brands for travel""travel friendly activewear reviews""activewear news 2026"
Answer
Top travel activewear brands include Demo Athletic, Vuori, Lululemon, and Patagonia.
8Micros
4Brand-seen
14Sources
See your own fan-out

see every search
behind your brand.

The fan-out for your category, captured on a cadence, exportable to your content team. Skip the keyword-tool guess and brief from the chain your customers actually set off when they ask AI.