Short answer
- Some Gemini responses are grounded on Google Search results. Getting into those answers runs through Google’s index and ranking; there is no separate Gemini submission.
Google-Extendedcontrols whether your content is used for Gemini training and for grounding in Gemini Apps and the Vertex AI Gemini API. Blocking it can keep you out of grounded Gemini answers.- Reddit was the #1 cited domain in Gemini in Ahrefs’ September 2026 data, at 28.5%: the highest share of any engine we checked.
How Gemini chooses sources
Gemini answers from its model knowledge and, for some responses, from Google Search results (Gemini Apps Help). In the Gemini API, “Grounding with Google Search” lets the model decide whether to search, run one or more queries, and return answers with citation links (Gemini API docs).
| Control | What it does | Source |
|---|---|---|
Googlebot / indexing | Needed for your pages to be in Google Search results that Gemini grounds on | Google Search docs |
Google-Extended | Controls use of your content for training future Gemini models and for grounding in Gemini Apps and Vertex AI API for Gemini. Does not affect Search inclusion or ranking | Google: common crawlers |
| Search Console AI opt-out | Covers AI Overviews and AI Mode in Search. Press reports say it does not cover the Gemini app (not stated by Google) | Google blog |
If you want to appear in Gemini’s grounded answers, do not block Google-Extended. Then the same work applies as for Google Search: rank for the question, answer it in plain text, and be described accurately in the discussions and reviews Google surfaces.
Reddit’s role in Gemini answers
In Ahrefs Brand Radar data for September 2026, reddit.com was the #1 cited domain in Gemini answers, at 28.5% of citations among the top-50 sources (Ahrefs). Shares move: Semrush tracked ChatGPT search citing Reddit in close to 60% of responses in early August 2025 and about 10% by mid-September 2025 (Semrush). Treat any single number as a snapshot. Partnerships give engines structured access to Reddit content: Google (Feb 2024) and OpenAI (May 2024).
What this means in practice: when buyers ask “best X” or “is X worth it”, the answer often quotes a real discussion. You cannot write that discussion yourself, but you can make sure your brand is represented accurately in it:
- Find the threads already cited for your prompts and read what people actually say about you and competitors.
- Answer questions where you have real expertise, from a clearly labelled brand or employee account.
- Follow each subreddit’s self-promotion rules; ask moderators before an AMA, a launch post or a giveaway.
- Correct factual errors politely with a source; never argue with reviewers.
- Never use vote manipulation, undisclosed accounts or paid posts disguised as users. They break Reddit’s rules and tend to be removed, which also removes the citation.
This is the work of our Reddit community marketing service: subreddit research, rules-first participation and moderator cooperation.
10-point diagnostic checklist
- robots.txt does not disallow
Google-Extended(unless you deliberately opt out of Gemini). - Key pages are indexed in Google and rank for the buyer questions you care about.
- The answer appears in plain visible text early on the page.
- Your brand’s core facts are consistent across your site, Business Profile, Wikipedia/Wikidata (if eligible) and major listings.
- You have comparison and “alternatives” content for your category.
- You know which Reddit and forum threads Gemini cites for your prompts.
- Your brand participates in those threads openly and within each subreddit’s rules.
- YouTube reviews or explainers exist for your product category, since Google surfaces video too.
- Prompts are tested in the Gemini app, logged out and logged in, because personalisation can change answers.
- You log answers and cited links monthly.
Want this done for you? Our GEO service runs the checklist, fixes your pages and works on the sources Gemini cites, including rules-first Reddit community marketing.
How to measure Gemini visibility
We found no publisher-facing Gemini analytics report. Track gemini.google.com referrals where they appear, and keep a monthly log of a fixed prompt list with the cited links.
How Gemini compares with other AI engines
| Engine | Where answers come from (official) | Crawler / control to check | Reddit in top cited sources* | How to measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT search | Live web search via OpenAI’s search crawler plus partner content; OpenAI does not publicly name a single search provider | Allow OAI-SearchBot (search). GPTBot is training only | #1 · 16.8% | Referrals tagged utm_source=chatgpt.com; prompt tracking |
| Perplexity | Real-time web search with numbered source footnotes | Allow PerplexityBot (Perplexity recommends it) | #1 · 21.6% | perplexity.ai referrals; prompt tracking |
| Google AI Overviews | Google Search index and core ranking systems, with query fan-out | Googlebot, snippet controls, Search Console AI opt-out | #2 · 18.5% | Search Console Performance (Web) and generative AI report |
| Google AI Mode | Same index as Search; may use different models, so links differ from AI Overviews | Same as AI Overviews | #1 · 17.9% | Same as AI Overviews |
| Gemini | Some responses grounded on Google Search results | Google-Extended controls Gemini training and grounding use | #1 · 28.5% | Prompt tracking (no publisher report found) |
| Microsoft Copilot | Copilot sends a short query to Bing and composes from Bing results | Bing indexing; IndexNow for freshness | Not in top 50 | Bing Webmaster Tools AI Performance (citations) |
*Ahrefs Brand Radar “mention share”, US, September 2026: Reddit’s share of citations among each engine’s top-50 cited domains, not of all citations. Sources: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, Google AI Mode, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot.
Related guides
FAQ
How do I get my brand mentioned by Gemini?
Make sure Google-Extended is not blocked, rank in Google Search for the questions buyers ask, answer them in plain text, and be represented accurately in the community discussions and reviews Google surfaces, since some Gemini answers are grounded in Google Search.
What does Google-Extended control?
Google says Google-Extended controls whether content Google crawls is used to train future Gemini models and for grounding in Gemini Apps and the Vertex AI API for Gemini. It does not affect inclusion or ranking in Google Search.
Is ranking in Gemini the same as ranking in Google?
They overlap heavily because grounded Gemini answers use Google Search results, but Gemini also answers from model knowledge and personalises responses, so test your prompts in Gemini directly.
Why does Gemini cite Reddit so often?
In Ahrefs Brand Radar data for September 2026, Reddit was Gemini’s most cited domain among the top-50 sources at 28.5%. Google also has a data partnership with Reddit announced in February 2024.
See how Gemini describes your brand today, and which sources it cites instead of you.
Get a free GeoTrack diagnosis