Google is testing a change to AI Overviews that skips the familiar “Show more” button for some queries and automatically displays a longer AI-generated response.
The change was spotted in Google Search on August 29 and appears to be part of Google’s broader effort to make AI Overviews more interactive and closely connected to AI Mode.
What Exactly Changed in AI Overviews
1. Auto-expanded AI Overviews
Previously, Google often showed a shorter version of an AI Overview with a “Show more” button. Users could click the button to see the expanded response.
Under the new behavior, for selected queries, Google can automatically show the expanded version without requiring that extra click.
2. Organic Results Pushed Further Down
The standard list of organic listings is pushed significantly lower, often below the initial screen view on desktop and mobile.
3. Follow-up Prompts Get More Visibility
The expanded block encourages users to ask related questions directly inside the AI interface, making the experience more similar to AI Mode
Google AI Overview: Before vs. After
Before: AI Overview with the “Show more” button
After: Expanded AI Overview without the “Show more” button for selected query
Note: Both screenshots are real Google Search results captured by the Crawl Vision team.
Google Stops the Expansion After Scrolling
Google has confirmed that AI Overviews can dynamically expand when its systems determine that a longer response would be useful.
Robby Stein, VP of Product at Google Search, explained:
“AI Overviews only dynamically expand for topics where our systems determine it to be most useful. If you’ve already started scrolling, the expansion stops to keep your place.”
This means Google is attempting to provide more information while avoiding disruption for users who have already started browsing the traditional results.
Note: The behavior is still being tested, so users may not see the same AI Overview experience for every query.
Why This Matters for SEO
The change shows how Google is gradually moving AI Overviews beyond a simple answer box and toward a more conversational search experience.
For SEO professionals, this makes AI visibility and traditional rankings increasingly important to monitor together.
A page may still rank well organically but receive less above-the-fold visibility and potentially fewer clicks when an AI Overview expands automatically.
For now, Google appears to be testing the behavior selectively rather than applying it universally. But if the expanded format becomes more common, it could further change how users interact with organic search results.
What SEOs and Businesses Should Do Now?
- Monitor organic CTR: Watch for changes in clicks even when keyword rankings remain stable.
- Track AI visibility: Measure whether your content appears or gets cited within AI Overviews.
- Check important queries manually: Look at how expanded AI Overviews affect the visibility of your key pages.
- Focus on clear, useful answers: Structure content so important information is easy for search systems to understand and extract.
- Watch SERP changes: Treat this as an evolving test rather than a permanent change until Google expands the behavior more broadly.
Key Takeaway: Google’s latest test is another sign that SEO visibility is no longer just about where a page ranks, but how much attention it receives in an increasingly AI-driven SERP.
