If you’ve been keeping an eye on how Google’s search experience is evolving, you may have noticed a quiet but significant shift over the past few weeks.
When clicking “Show more” within AI Overviews, users are now being taken directly into AI Mode, rather than staying within the traditional search results.
This behaviour wasn’t consistent at first. Over the last few weeks, it appeared intermittently, and I’d previously pinpointed it to a specific type of query intent in a LinkedIn post back in December 2025.
At that point, it wasn’t happening for complex searches. Just everyday, standard queries.
Where AI Overviews Were Sending Users into AI Mode
What stood out most wasn’t just that it was happening, but where.
I consistently saw this behaviour on Informational searches and queries with no supporting rich media.
And notably, not on:
- “How to” queries
- Commercial or transactional searches
- Queries triggering tables, charts, or graph results
- Searches showing video results
I tested a wide range of queries, and as recently as a month ago, these same informational searches were not triggering a jump into AI Mode.
What Has Changed in Recent Weeks
Fast forward to now, and the behaviour has expanded.
Any query that triggers an AI Overview now appears to open directly into AI Mode when “Show more” is clicked.
This is a meaningful shift in how users are being guided through search, and it’s happening without a formal announcement – as of January 28th 2026.
What This Could Mean for SEO
In a landscape already shaped by zero-click searches, this raises some important questions.
Right now, users can still navigate out of AI Mode fairly easily. But for many people, especially those unfamiliar with the interface, it may not be immediately obvious how to exit, or they may find the experience intrusive in terms of controlling their journey.
On the other hand, for users genuinely looking to explore a topic in more depth, this could feel like a natural progression: from overview to deeper exploration, without friction.
Both outcomes are plausible, and which dominates may depend heavily on query type and user intent.
AI Mode as the Default Search Experience?
The lack of a clear announcement reinforces a growing suspicion I’ve had for some time: AI Mode is likely to become the default search experience.
At the moment, this behaviour is only visible on mobile, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see this come to Desktop. Google rarely tests changes like this in isolation, and quiet rollouts often signal broader intent. We’re already seeing Google formalise how AI systems interact with commerce through initiatives like the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), which provides the technical framework behind discovery and checkout.
This isn’t just a UI tweak.
It’s another step in Google reshaping how users move through information. Part of a broader shift toward rolling out their agentic commerce, where AI doesn’t just surface information but increasingly acts on a user’s behalf.
As AI Mode continues to expand, understanding where and how users are being redirected will become just as important as understanding rankings themselves.
Frequently asked questions about AI Mode and AI Overviews
This change raises practical questions about how search works today, how users interact with results, and what it means for visibility. Here are some of the most common ones.
What is AI Mode in Google Search?
AI Mode is Google’s conversational search experience that allows users to explore topics, ask follow up questions, and receive more detailed AI generated responses. Instead of showing a traditional list of search results, AI Mode presents information in a more interactive, dialogue/conversational format.
How is AI Mode different from AI Overviews?
AI Overviews provide a summary directly within standard search results. AI Mode goes further by opening a dedicated, immersive experience where users can continue exploring a topic through conversation. Clicking “Show more” within an AI Overview now takes users (on Mobile Devices) directly into AI Mode.
Does AI Mode replace traditional organic search results?
Not entirely – at least not yet. Traditional organic results still exist and remain accessible. However, AI Mode changes how users reach and interact with information, which may reduce direct visibility of standard listings for certain types of queries.
What does this mean for SEO and content performance?
As AI Mode expands, visibility may depend less on clicks and more on whether content is referenced, summarised, or trusted by AI systems / LLMs. Clear structure, accurate information, and strong topical authority will continue to be increasingly important alongside traditional ranking factors.
