Google further buries search results under AI mode
News Source
β’2026-08-28T18:48:11-04:00
π° What Happened
Google is now automatically expanding its AI search summaries for some queries. Instead of showing part of an AI Overview with a Show more button, Google now shows a full AI Overview at the top of the results page. This pushes the normal list of links much farther down. The change was first reported by Search Engine Roundtable.
The move continues Google's push to answer questions directly with AI. Publishers and website owners are watching closely.
π The Backstory
Google first launched AI Overviews in 2024 after a rushed start that produced odd and wrong answers. Since then, AI summaries have spread across more searches.
Publishers worry that fewer people will click through to their sites. Google says the summaries help people find answers faster. Critics argue the change buries the open web that made Google so popular. The tension between quick answers and real websites is only growing.
π― Why It Matters
Search is how people find news, advice, and small businesses. If AI answers push links down, sites that depend on search traffic could lose readers and money. It changes how everyone finds information online.
Google is now automatically expanding its AI search summaries for some queries. Instead of showing part of an AI Overview with a Show more button, Google now shows a full AI Overview at the top of the results page. This pushes the normal list of links much farther down. The change was first reported by Search Engine Roundtable.
The move continues Google's push to answer questions directly with AI. Publishers and website owners are watching closely.
Google first launched AI Overviews in 2024 after a rushed start that produced odd and wrong answers. Since then, AI summaries have spread across more searches.
Publishers worry that fewer people will click through to their sites. Google says the summaries help people find answers faster. Critics argue the change buries the open web that made Google so popular. The tension between quick answers and real websites is only growing.
Search is how people find news, advice, and small businesses. If AI answers push links down, sites that depend on search traffic could lose readers and money. It changes how everyone finds information online.