Search results are changing: how removing 'Show more' changes the rules for businesses

New search results: automatically expanded answers and the disappearance of 'Show more'

Since 27 August, Google has removed 'Show more' and displayed the AI answer fully expanded on the first screen. This changes normal search interactions, focusing attention on the answer without requiring another click.

Below the expanded answer is a new 'Ask anything' search block designed for dialogue and follow-up questions. Traditional source links now sit below it, reducing their visual prominence and conventional click-throughs.

Yandex has gone further by extending AI answers to commercial as well as informational queries. Even in products and services, users can receive detailed information without visiting websites.

Google and Yandex integrate advertising directly into AI answers to preserve product profitability. These are not merely experiments: they reflect a search economy reorganising around AI and user experience.

AI answers' impact on advertising and organic traffic

AI in search is rapidly changing advertising and users' interactions with results. Google search ads generated USD 63 billion in the latest quarter, but some of that revenue is at risk as clicks on traditional ads decline.

One key reason is the growing share of advertising embedded directly in AI answers. At Google, this rose from 3% in early 2025 to 25.5% in 2026, changing both results and user behaviour. Yandex is also actively monetising AI answers, paying advertisers ten times more for conversational placements, reflecting an aggressive strategy to attract advertising budgets.

Brainlabs reports a 163% increase in visits from AI platforms and a 335% rise in target actions. The focus is shifting from traffic volume to quality and conversion. Marketing strategies should therefore improve the value of each customer interaction, not simply visitor numbers.

Advertising within AI answers significantly changes strategy and demands a more considered approach. Integrated acquisition now focuses on interaction quality, a critical factor in sustainable growth and scaling.

Promotion strategies for changing citation algorithms and answer structures

Search results increasingly rely on AI drawing answers from multiple sources. The average is around 12.2 sources, creating strong competition to be cited. Businesses need more than isolated placements: they need a stable core of reliable sources that regularly appear in results.

Appearing in AI answers increases website visibility and brand awareness. Breadth matters: how many different answers mention the site. So does depth: how often those citations recur. Together, they help establish the domain as a reliable, relevant source.

Systematically monitoring AI answers to target queries is central to adapting to the new rules. It helps identify effective publication platforms and adjust content strategy in real time. This can improve the chances of inclusion while focusing marketing resources on channels that matter.

Website promotion is shifting from basic SEO and steadily accumulating links towards integrated digital marketing based on analytics, scaling and citation quality. It requires marketing to operate as one managed system, rather than a set of tools, reflecting new search results and audience interactions.

Practical integrated marketing advice for changing search results

Search algorithm changes call for a rethink of integrated digital marketing. Business owners and marketers need to recognise that direct visits from articles are becoming less central. Greater emphasis should go to the lasting effect of citations in AI answers, which contribute to sustained visibility and trust.

Citation quality and breadth matter more than publication volume on low-value platforms. The key is entering the core of domains regularly cited in AI answers. This core forms and changes quickly, so delayed adaptation can mean missed opportunities.

Regularly measure and monitor search engine answers for your business's key queries. This helps identify openings for new sources and assess citation trends. Understanding these changes supports a systematic marketing approach that responds to new algorithms and contributes to sustainable growth.

Integrated promotion is now a continuous process: responding quickly to search ecosystem changes, maintaining quality visibility and building transparent analytics for informed decisions. The focus is not just visibility, but contribution to business performance.