Updated
Updated · The Verge · Aug 29
Google Auto-Expands AI Search Summaries for Some Queries, Pushing Links Below 2 AI Boxes
Updated
Updated · The Verge · Aug 29

Google Auto-Expands AI Search Summaries for Some Queries, Pushing Links Below 2 AI Boxes

3 articles · Updated · The Verge · Aug 29

Summary

  • Google is now automatically showing full AI Overviews for some searches, replacing the partial summary and “Show more” button with a longer AI answer at the top of results.
  • That layout adds an “Ask anything” box beneath the AI Overview and pushes the traditional list of links much farther down the page, often requiring more scrolling.
  • Google said the expansion appears on topics its systems judge “most useful,” citing research that users find Search more helpful and engage more deeply in follow-up exploration.
  • The behavior is inconsistent across queries and browsers, and Google says it cancels the expansion if a user has already started scrolling so they do not lose their place.
  • The change extends Google’s broader shift toward AI-first search, a move already raising concerns from publishers that lower link visibility could hurt traffic and revenue.

Insights

If page-one rankings no longer guarantee visibility, what hidden signals is Google using to handpick smaller sites for its AI answers?
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