Google is now automatically expanding AI Overviews to their full length for some searches, removing the need to click “show more” before you see the whole AI-generated answer. For a small business or solo marketer whose traffic depends on organic clicks, that is worth understanding this week, not next quarter.
The change was confirmed by a Google spokesperson to Search Engine Land: “For some queries, AI Overviews may dynamically expand for topics where our systems determine it’s most useful for people.” Google has not said which queries qualify or what share of searches are affected, and it stops the expansion if a searcher has already started scrolling. What is clear is the direction: Google keeps making the AI answer the default view, and your listing sits further down the page when it happens.
In short
Google is auto-expanding AI Overviews on some searches, so check this week whether your top keywords are affected and whether your traffic depends too heavily on them.
What changed in Google search results
Until now, a long AI Overview was collapsed behind a "show more" link, so a searcher had to click before reading the full answer. Search Engine Land reported on 28 August 2026 that Google is now expanding some of these overviews automatically, showing the complete answer along with an "ask anything" follow-up box without any click at all.
Google told the publication this only happens "for some queries" where its systems judge it most useful, and that it cancels the expansion if a searcher has already started scrolling past the overview. Search Engine Watch, reporting on 29 August 2026, noted that SEOs who spotted the change read it as another step toward making the AI Mode style of results the default experience, rather than an occasional feature.
The trade-off: a better answer for the searcher, a longer scroll to reach you
Google's own reasoning is about the searcher, not about your site: it says people find the fuller answer more useful and follow up with more questions. That may well be true, and it isn't something a small business can argue with.
The trade-off is on your side of the page. Whatever pushed your listing to position four or five before now needs the searcher to scroll further, past a longer AI answer and its follow-up box, before they even see your link. Neither source has published a percentage of affected queries, so treat this as a direction to watch rather than a fixed rule to redesign your whole site around.
What to do this week
Open Search Console's performance report and filter by search type, then compare impressions and clicks on your informational, question-based pages against the rest of your site. A falling click-through rate on "how to" or "best" style queries, with impressions holding steady, is the early signal this change is reaching your keywords.
Search your own main topics and check whether your content is the one AI Overviews quotes. If it isn't, rewrite the opening two or three sentences of that page into a direct, self-contained answer to the exact question people ask, since that is the shape Google's systems pull from.
Finally, treat this as one more reason not to rely on organic search alone. An email list, a Google Business Profile for local searches, or a social following all give you a way to reach people that does not depend on how far down the page your listing sits.
Frequently asked questions
Does this auto-expand happen on every search?
No. Google says it only applies to "some queries" where its systems judge the fuller answer most useful, and it has not disclosed which topics or what share of searches are affected.
Can I stop my site's content from feeding AI Overviews?
There is a separate, site-wide control for that. See our guide to Google's AI search toggle in Search Console for how it works and the trade-offs of turning it on.
Does this affect local or transactional searches the most?
Not clear yet. Both sources describe the change around informational, question-style queries, and neither says how local "near me" or purchase-intent searches are treated, so don't assume it applies evenly.
Sources
- Search Engine Land, "Google is dynamically expanding AI Overviews for some queries", 28 August 2026.
- Search Engine Watch, "Google drops show more button, pushes users into AI Mode", 29 August 2026.
Related guides in this series
- Entity SEO: an actionable plan to be unique and rank
- Which AI search platform should you optimize for?
- Google's new AI search toggle: should you opt out?
- Measuring your search visibility in 2026, a quick guide
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Published: September 2026 | Author: Minh Pham
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