Google confirms AI Search will include ads - and they'll look different
Google's ad business isn't going anywhere. With tens of billions in revenue from Search and YouTube, ads will continue to show up across Google's AI experiences - just not in the same way you're used to.
Right now, Google is running two AI layers in Search. AI Overviews sit at the top of results with quick summaries pulled from publishers. AI Mode goes further - a ChatGPT-style, conversational experience that Google plans to connect with Gmail and Drive to deliver deeply personal answers. Helpful, yes - and it clearly raises new privacy questions.
Google: ads will remain, but the experience will change
In a podcast, Google's Robby Stein said the ads business will continue, while the format adapts to how people ask questions in AI Mode. He gave two examples:
- Snap a photo of your shoes and ask for similar styles.
- Give a long restaurant brief - allergies, group size, lighting, booking needs - and get actionable options.
Stein framed this as a chance to be "even more helpful" in an advertising context. Google has already started experiments with ads inside AI Mode and other AI Search experiences. Limited tests are live; broader details are expected next year.
What this means for marketers
AI answers compress the path from question to decision. Your brand now competes inside a conversational flow, not just a page of links. Here's how to adapt:
- Optimize for AI answers, not just blue links: Tighten product feeds, ratings, pricing, availability, and schema. If AI summarizes the category, make sure it has clean data to pull from.
- Prepare for visual queries: Expect "photo-to-product" prompts. Invest in high-quality, multi-angle images, consistent backgrounds, and clear attributes.
- Build conversation-ready creative: Write ad copy that responds to constraints ("vegan," "under $100," "pairs with X") and multi-step intents.
- Own your first-party data: Consent, enrichment, and audience quality will matter more as targeting leans on user context and declared preferences.
- Rethink measurement: Track "assisted answers," chat engagements, and booked actions - not just last-click. Expect new reporting surfaces from Google.
- Feed hygiene is strategy: Treat Merchant Center, structured data, and inventory accuracy like core ad levers, because they are.
- Brand safety and disclosures: Keep a close eye on how ads are labeled inside AI answers. Document policies now.
Product and growth teams: build for AI-native queries
- Context as input: Users will paste long briefs or images. Ensure your product pages, APIs, and booking flows can accept constraints and return precise options.
- Deep links to actions: Prioritize "book," "configure," or "try" links that AI can surface directly from an answer.
- Structured metadata everywhere: Categories, compatibility, allergens, sizing, and policies should be machine-readable.
- Latency matters: AI flows favor sources that respond quickly and consistently.
SEO content still matters - but the surface has shifted
- Write for summaries: Clear definitions, lists, and step-by-step content get pulled into AI Overviews.
- Show expertise: Cite sources, include real examples, and keep facts current. Credibility signals help.
- Image and schema coverage: Many AI prompts start with a photo. Your visuals are now search inputs.
What to watch next
- Ad formats: Conversational placements, shoppable carousels inside answers, and image-led units.
- Pricing models: Will Google introduce cost-per-conversation or action-linked pricing alongside CPC?
- Controls and reporting: New levers for audience, context, exclusions, and transparency into where the ad appeared within an AI response.
- Privacy guardrails: How Google uses data from Gmail/Drive-integrated prompts for ad relevance will face scrutiny.
Useful references
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Bottom line: ads will live inside Google's AI answers and chats. The brands that win will treat structured data, creative constraints, and first-party audiences as core advantages - and design for the question behind the query.
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