In short
Gemini is Google's AI. It powers the Gemini app, AI Mode and AI Overviews in Google Search, and assistants in Gmail, Docs and Android. Because it grounds its answers in Google Search, the work that makes you rank on Google is also what makes Gemini recommend you: indexing, authority, structured data and clear answers.
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What is Gemini?
Gemini is the family of AI models developed by Google DeepMind and the name of Google's assistant. Its strength is distribution: it appears above the results of the world's first search engine (AI Overviews), in a dedicated conversational search (AI Mode), and inside Google Workspace and Android phones.
The latest Gemini models
| Model | Release | Where it runs | Google Search grounding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 3 | November 2025 | Gemini app, AI Mode | Yes |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | 2026 | Default model of AI Mode for all users since May 2026 | Yes |
| Gemini 3.8 Flash | September 2026 | Google AI Pro and Ultra: Gemini app, AI Mode, Sheets | Yes |
| Gemini 4 | Limited preview | Google's next frontier model | Yes |
Google publishes changes on its official blog and in the Gemini API release notes.
How Gemini finds the sites it cites
Gemini answers with grounding in Google Search: before answering, it queries Google's index, often with several related searches, and builds an answer that links to the pages it used. Three surfaces work this way:
| Surface | Who sees it | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| AI Overviews | Google users, above the classic results | A short summary with a few cited pages |
| AI Mode | Users who choose the conversational search tab | Longer answers, many more sources, follow-up questions |
| Gemini app | Users of the assistant on web and mobile | Recommendations and comparisons with links |
The crawler is Googlebot. The Google-Extended token only controls training: blocking it does not remove you from grounded answers. Check if your pages are indexable with the free Indexability Checker.
Where people use Gemini
- Google Search: AI Overviews and AI Mode, the largest audience of any AI.
- The Gemini app on web, Android and iOS, with Google AI Pro and Ultra plans.
- Google Workspace: Gmail, Docs, Sheets, where professionals prepare their purchases.
- The Gemini API and Vertex AI for businesses and developers.
How to get your business recommended by Gemini
- Be indexed. Pages not indexed by Google cannot be cited by Gemini. Check your sitemap with the Sitemap Checker.
- Answer the follow-up questions. AI Mode splits a question into several sub-searches: cover the related questions on the same page or on linked pages.
- Use structured data. Organization, Product, LocalBusiness and FAQ help Google understand who you are. Create it with the Schema Generator.
- Complete your Google Business Profile for local questions: Gemini uses it for recommendations near the user.
- Measure. Test your presence with the free AI Overview Checker, then follow it every day with the Gemini visibility tracker.
Compare with the other assistants in our guide by AI model.
