{"id":730034,"date":"2026-05-28T12:10:18","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T09:10:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/users-behave-differently-in-ai-overviews-vs-ai-mode\/"},"modified":"2026-05-28T12:10:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T09:10:18","slug":"users-behave-differently-in-ai-overviews-vs-ai-mode","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/users-behave-differently-in-ai-overviews-vs-ai-mode\/","title":{"rendered":"Users behave differently in AI Overviews vs. AI Mode"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a25e81194073\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a25e81194073\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/users-behave-differently-in-ai-overviews-vs-ai-mode\/#New_clickstream_data_shows_AI_Overviews_reshape_user_behavior_from_reverse_scrolling_to_longer_SERP_evaluation_across_search_intents\" >New clickstream data shows AI Overviews reshape user behavior, from reverse scrolling to longer SERP evaluation across search intents.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/users-behave-differently-in-ai-overviews-vs-ai-mode\/#1_Same_user_opposite_behaviors\" >1. Same user, opposite behaviors<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/users-behave-differently-in-ai-overviews-vs-ai-mode\/#2_Half_of_all_scrolling_now_goes_backward\" >2. Half of all scrolling now goes backward<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/users-behave-differently-in-ai-overviews-vs-ai-mode\/#3_Search_type_no_longer_predicts_behavior\" >3. Search type no longer predicts behavior<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/users-behave-differently-in-ai-overviews-vs-ai-mode\/#4_Brand_searches_lost_their_shortcut\" >4. Brand searches lost their shortcut<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/users-behave-differently-in-ai-overviews-vs-ai-mode\/#Topics_on_this_page\" >Topics on this page<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"subhead\" itemprop=\"alternativeHeadline\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"New_clickstream_data_shows_AI_Overviews_reshape_user_behavior_from_reverse_scrolling_to_longer_SERP_evaluation_across_search_intents\"><\/span>New clickstream data shows AI Overviews reshape user behavior, from reverse scrolling to longer SERP evaluation across search intents.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"bialty-container\">\n<p>The average Netflix user spends 18 minutes browsing the home screen before picking what to watch. They scroll past tiles, hover for trailers, scroll back to a show they almost picked, then circle back to the row they started in. The browse is the experience.<\/p>\n<p>Search isn\u2019t that different anymore. We just lacked the data to see it until now.<\/p>\n<p><strong>This week:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Four behavioral shifts that show up when an AI Overview is on the page, measured across 846,000 real Google sessions.<\/li>\n<li>Why brand-name searches no longer give you the shortcut they used to.<\/li>\n<li>One finding that should change how you write title tags and meta de<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">script<\/a>ions this quarter.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Eric Van Buskirk of <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/clickstream.cc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Clickstream Solutions<\/a> analyzed anonymized clickstream data provided by <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/surferseo.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Surfer SEO<\/a>, drawing findings from approximately 846,000 U.S.-based Google search sessions collected in February and March 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the fifth user-behavior study on Google\u2019s AI features in the last 12 months. The <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.growth-memo.com\/p\/the-first-ever-ux-study-of-googles\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">70-user UX study from May 2025<\/a> used think-aloud and screen recording. The <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.growth-memo.com\/p\/what-our-ai-mode-user-behavior-study\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">250-session AI Mode study from October 2025<\/a> captured how users behave inside AI Mode itself. This one trades qualitative depth for the scale to find behavioral patterns the smaller studies couldn\u2019t see.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/about:blank\" width=\"480\" height=\"320\" style=\"border: 0; background: transparent\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" data-rocket-lazyload=\"fitvidscompatible\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.growth-memo.com\/embed?transparent=1\"><\/iframe><noscript><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.growth-memo.com\/embed?transparent=1\" width=\"480\" height=\"320\" style=\"border: 0; background: transparent\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>For context: Prior public Google SERP mouse-tracking studies measured dozens of people. The largest had a few thousand tasks. This study analyzed queries from a panel of tens of thousands of Google Search users.<\/p>\n<p>The most significant pattern shown: Users behave in opposite ways in AI Overviews and AI Mode. AI Mode is autoplay. AI Overviews is the Netflix browse.<\/p>\n<p>This article covers four findings from the new study (full methodology <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/clickstream.cc\/methodology-measuring-how-users-move-pause-and-reconsider-on-google-search\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>) and what they mean for how you write title tags and meta descriptions in 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"359\" http: alt=\"Image 246\" class=\"wp-image-478658\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/image-246.png 2048w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/image-246-768x135.png 768w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/image-246-1536x269.png 1536w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/image-246.png\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"359\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/image-246.png\" alt=\"Image 246\" class=\"wp-image-478658\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/image-246.png 2048w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/image-246-768x135.png 768w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/image-246-1536x269.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Complete brand visibility: Whether you\u2019re a global brand or nationwide nonprofit<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1800\" height=\"900\" http: alt=\"Image 247\" class=\"wp-image-478659\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/image-247.png 1800w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/image-247-768x384.png 768w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/image-247-1536x768.png 1536w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/image-247.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1800\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/image-247.png\" alt=\"Image 247\" class=\"wp-image-478659\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/image-247.png 1800w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/image-247-768x384.png 768w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/image-247-1536x768.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Good Guys SEO secured buy-in and built an end-to-end search strategy for one of the US\u2019s most recognized nonprofits using Semrush for Enterprise.<\/p>\n<p>The result: +37% AI share of voice for homelessness services, with visibility connected directly to campaign traffic and donations.<\/p>\n<p>Complete SEO and AI search capabilities in one platform. The outcomes speak for themselves, whatever your industry or business model.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterprise.semrush.com\/customer-stories\/good-guys-seo\/?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=influencers&amp;utm_campaign=socialorganic_partners_growthmemo&amp;utm_term=social_organic&amp;utm_content=kevinindig_may25\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Read the full story<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"359\" http: alt=\"Image 246\" class=\"wp-image-478657\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/image-246.png 2048w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/image-246-768x135.png 768w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/image-246-1536x269.png 1536w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/image-246.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"359\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/image-246.png\" alt=\"Image 246\" class=\"wp-image-478657\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/image-246.png 2048w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/image-246-768x135.png 768w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/image-246-1536x269.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1231\" http: alt=\"846,000 search sessions - AI Overview vs AI Mode\" class=\"wp-image-478673\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/headline-graphic-new.png 1200w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/headline-graphic-new-768x788.png 768w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/headline-graphic-new.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1231\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/headline-graphic-new.png\" alt=\"846,000 search sessions - AI Overview vs AI Mode\" class=\"wp-image-478673\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/headline-graphic-new.png 1200w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/headline-graphic-new-768x788.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"same-user-opposite-behaviors\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Same_user_opposite_behaviors\"><\/span>1. Same user, opposite behaviors<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In AI Mode, users often accept the answer while continuing to evaluate the SERP in AI Overviews.<\/p>\n<p>The <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.growth-memo.com\/p\/how-consumers-navigate-high-stakes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">April 2026 study of 185 high-stakes purchases<\/a> found that in 88% of AI Mode tasks, users took the AI\u2019s shortlist as-is, 74% picked the item ranked first, and 64% clicked nothing at all. AI Mode often behaves like a closed loop: The user reads the answer, picks from inside the answer, and moves on.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2040\" height=\"1208\" http: alt=\"AI Mode vs AI Overview Behavior Contrast\" class=\"wp-image-478674\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/ai-mode-vs-ai-overview-behavior-contrast.png 2040w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/ai-mode-vs-ai-overview-behavior-contrast-768x455.png 768w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/ai-mode-vs-ai-overview-behavior-contrast-1536x910.png 1536w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2040px) 100vw, 2040px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/ai-mode-vs-ai-overview-behavior-contrast.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2040\" height=\"1208\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/ai-mode-vs-ai-overview-behavior-contrast.png\" alt=\"AI Mode vs AI Overview Behavior Contrast\" class=\"wp-image-478674\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/ai-mode-vs-ai-overview-behavior-contrast.png 2040w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/ai-mode-vs-ai-overview-behavior-contrast-768x455.png 768w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/ai-mode-vs-ai-overview-behavior-contrast-1536x910.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2040px) 100vw, 2040px\"><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> N\/A means the behavior doesn\u2019t apply to that surface. AI Overviews don\u2019t deliver shortlists like AI Mode does, and cursor\/scroll metrics were only measured in AI Overview comparison environments.<\/p>\n<p>New cursor tracking data on AI Overviews shows a different behavior pattern. Cursor positions spread across the equivalent of 83% of a viewport, compared with 66% when no AI Overview appeared. Users kept their cursors still 44% of the time, compared with 29% without an AIO. And in the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>n session, reverse-direction scrolling accounted for nearly half of scroll movement.<\/p>\n<p>Taken together, this suggests that AI Overviews turn the SERP into more of a comparison environment. The user reads, pauses, weighs, returns to earlier content, and reconsiders before clicking.<\/p>\n<p>The implication for strategy: AI Mode optimization and AI Overview optimization are not the same job. Showing up in an AI Mode shortlist is a visibility problem at the model layer. Showing up in an AI Overview is a comparison problem on the SERP itself.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"half-of-all-scrolling-now-goes-backward\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Half_of_all_scrolling_now_goes_backward\"><\/span>2. Half of all scrolling now goes backward<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Among users who reverse direction in an AI Overview SERP, the median user spends 47.5% of total scrolling going back up the page. Without an AI Overview present, that figure is 27%.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1680\" height=\"1824\" http: alt=\"Median back scroll share almost doubles with AIOs\" class=\"wp-image-478676\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/median-back-scroll-share-almost-doubles-with-aios.png 1680w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/median-back-scroll-share-almost-doubles-with-aios-768x834.png 768w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/median-back-scroll-share-almost-doubles-with-aios-1415x1536.png 1415w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1680px) 100vw, 1680px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/median-back-scroll-share-almost-doubles-with-aios.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1680\" height=\"1824\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/median-back-scroll-share-almost-doubles-with-aios.png\" alt=\"Median back scroll share almost doubles with AIOs\" class=\"wp-image-478676\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/median-back-scroll-share-almost-doubles-with-aios.png 1680w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/median-back-scroll-share-almost-doubles-with-aios-768x834.png 768w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/median-back-scroll-share-almost-doubles-with-aios-1415x1536.png 1415w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1680px) 100vw, 1680px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The cursor data shows scrolling isn\u2019t a one-way <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trip<\/a>. On AI Overview SERPs, scrolling is roughly a 50\/50 split between going down and going back up. That\u2019s the behavior of someone re-reading, not someone scanning.<\/p>\n<p>The 70-user study from May 2025 found this pattern qualitatively. <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.growth-memo.com\/i\/163392865\/insight\">38% of AI Overview sessions in that study<\/a> showed reassurance-seeking clicks where users opened a second link \u201cjust to be sure.\u201d The new clickstream data shows that the validation work has now moved onto the SERP itself. Users used to leave Google to validate a result. Now they validate by reversing back over results they already saw.<\/p>\n<p>This is exactly the Netflix browse pattern. You hover on a tile. You scroll past it. Something pulls you back, so you scroll up to read the description again. The decision happens during the reversal, not the first pass.<\/p>\n<p>For e-commerce and high-consideration decision categories, this is the most consequential finding in the study. Your listing in an AI Overview SERP isn\u2019t getting one impression anymore. It\u2019s getting 2 or 3, and the second impression is when comparison happens.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"search-type-no-longer-predicts-behavior\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Search_type_no_longer_predicts_behavior\"><\/span>3. Search type no longer predicts behavior<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>For 2 decades, search intent has been the foundational segmentation framework in SEO. You could predict how long a user would stay on a Google SERP by knowing what kind of search they did. The cursor data shows that\u2019s no longer true when an AI Overview is on the page.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2040\" height=\"1208\" http: alt=\"AI Overviews keep searchers on SERPs longer\" class=\"wp-image-478677\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/ai-overviews-keep-searchers-on-serps-longer.png 2040w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/ai-overviews-keep-searchers-on-serps-longer-768x455.png 768w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/ai-overviews-keep-searchers-on-serps-longer-1536x910.png 1536w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2040px) 100vw, 2040px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/ai-overviews-keep-searchers-on-serps-longer.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2040\" height=\"1208\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/ai-overviews-keep-searchers-on-serps-longer.png\" alt=\"AI Overviews keep searchers on SERPs longer\" class=\"wp-image-478677\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/ai-overviews-keep-searchers-on-serps-longer.png 2040w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/ai-overviews-keep-searchers-on-serps-longer-768x455.png 768w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/ai-overviews-keep-searchers-on-serps-longer-1536x910.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2040px) 100vw, 2040px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>At 21 seconds into a session without an AIO, only 12% of navigational searchers are still on the page. 32% of local searchers are. In classic search, time-on-page has always followed intent: navigational users leave fast because they know where they\u2019re going, local users stay because the SERP is dense with maps and listings, informational users fall somewhere in between. That 20-point spread is what every SEO mental model is built around.<\/p>\n<p>With an AI Overview present, the spread compresses to barely 6 points. All five intent types (informational, local, navigational, transactional, video) cluster between 41.9% and 48.5% time-on-page at 21 seconds. <strong>Intent stops predicting how long users will stay in the search results.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is the most novel finding in the study. Nothing in prior research has shown AI Overview collapses time-on-page differences between intent types into a single band. The 70-user UX study segmented by query risk, the 250-session AI Mode study by task type. Both showed intent matters for engagement. The new clickstream data says intent stops predicting how long users stay on the SERP once an AI Overview appears.<\/p>\n<p>The scoping matters. This is a time-on-page finding, not a \u201cbehavior\u201d finding. Scroll depth still varies by intent under AIO, and it actually reshuffles: local jumps from third deepest to first, video falls from first to third. That part of the story is in the next section.<\/p>\n<p>The practical implication is uncomfortable. Most SEO playbooks recommend different optimization patterns by intent. Local pages get one treatment, transactional pages another, informational pages a third. However, our time-on-page data suggests that when an AI Overview is on the SERP, users stay for similar amounts of time regardless of why they searched.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The main takeaway here is that intent-based segmentation still matters for what content you write, but it matters less for predicting how long users will stick around on the SERP itself.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"brand-searches-lost-their-shortcut\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Brand_searches_lost_their_shortcut\"><\/span>4. Brand searches lost their shortcut<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Cursor activity for navigational queries (someone typing a brand name into Google) increased 40% when an AI Overview is on the page. Even users who came knowing where they wanted to go are sweeping the page first.<\/p>\n<p>Without an AIO, navigational searchers were the most focused group in the study. They scored 19.7 on the cursor scatter measure (essentially, how much people bounce around the page), the lowest of any intent type. Only 12% were still active at 21 seconds. They came to Google with a destination, found it, and left.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2040\" height=\"1209\" http: alt=\"AIOs increase scrutiny for brand searches\" class=\"wp-image-478678\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/aios-increase-scrutiny-for-brand-searches.png 2040w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/aios-increase-scrutiny-for-brand-searches-768x455.png 768w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/aios-increase-scrutiny-for-brand-searches-1536x910.png 1536w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2040px) 100vw, 2040px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/aios-increase-scrutiny-for-brand-searches.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2040\" height=\"1209\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/aios-increase-scrutiny-for-brand-searches.png\" alt=\"AIOs increase scrutiny for brand searches\" class=\"wp-image-478678\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/aios-increase-scrutiny-for-brand-searches.png 2040w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/aios-increase-scrutiny-for-brand-searches-768x455.png 768w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/aios-increase-scrutiny-for-brand-searches-1536x910.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2040px) 100vw, 2040px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>With an AI Overview present, that profile changes completely. Cursor scatter for navigational searchers jumps to 27.5. 45.8% are still active at 21 seconds. The brand-name shortcut, the fastest path through Google search for the past 20 years, no longer works the way it used to.<\/p>\n<p>The 70-user study from May 2025 found that brand and authority is the first gate users apply when reading a SERP. They check who\u2019s cited before they check what\u2019s said. The new clickstream data shows that the gate now fires even when there\u2019s nothing to gate against. A user who typed \u201cLenovo\u201d is still doing the authority check on the AI Overview content first.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1317\" http: alt=\"AI Overviews compress attention\" class=\"wp-image-478679\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/Attention_scatter_by_intent_09-4-scaled.png 2048w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/Attention_scatter_by_intent_09-4-768x494.png 768w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/Attention_scatter_by_intent_09-4-1536x987.png 1536w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/Attention_scatter_by_intent_09-4-scaled.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1317\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/Attention_scatter_by_intent_09-4-scaled.png\" alt=\"AI Overviews compress attention\" class=\"wp-image-478679\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/Attention_scatter_by_intent_09-4-scaled.png 2048w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/Attention_scatter_by_intent_09-4-768x494.png 768w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/Attention_scatter_by_intent_09-4-1536x987.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>This is the same Netflix pattern again. You open a show you\u2019ve already decided to watch, but you pause first to read the synopsis and check the rating. The brand recall got you to the page. The browse decides whether you click through.<\/p>\n<p>The implication for branded search: Brand recall is no longer enough on its own. Even users who searched for you specifically are now evaluating what\u2019s around you on the SERP before they click through.<\/p>\n<p><em><em>This post first appeared on the author\u2019s website and is republished here with permission.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"ttd-topics-display\">\n<div class=\"ttd-topics-content\">\n<h5><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Topics_on_this_page\"><\/span>Topics on this page<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<div class=\"ttd-topics-links\">Search engine optimizationGoogle AI ModeSearch engine results pageAI OverviewsGoogle SearchNetflixArtificial intelligenceLenovoClick pathUser behaviorUser experience design<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ttd-topics-show-extra-button\">+6 more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Technology<\/a><\/span> category.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/users-behave-differently-in-ai-overviews-vs-ai-mode-478590\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New clickstream data shows AI Overviews reshape user behavior, from reverse scrolling to longer SERP evaluation across search intents. The average Netflix user spends 18 minutes browsing the home screen before picking what to watch. They scroll past tiles, hover for trailers, scroll back to a show they almost picked, then circle back to the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":730035,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/05\/featured-image-Users-behave-differently-in-AI-Overviews-vs-AI-Mode.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-730034","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/730034","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=730034"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/730034\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/730035"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=730034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=730034"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=730034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}