Google Search’s AI Mode To Show Ads Soon? All You Need To Know

While many of us are still getting used to AI showing up in our daily Google searches, the tech giant is already planning its next big step — bringing ads into AI Mode. Yes, that AI-powered chat-like interface you’ve been seeing in some of your searches is about to become a new space for advertisers too.

This new move is said to have started rolling out in India and the US, and it’s expected to reach more countries soon, a report by AdAge suggested.

What Exactly Is AI Mode?

If you’re unfamiliar, Google’s AI Mode blends traditional search results with AI-generated summaries. Instead of just showing you links, it offers detailed answers, like a chatbot. And now, those answers might include ads.

But it’s not just random advertising. Google says these will be relevant suggestions, based on your search, picked from existing ad campaigns like Search, Shopping, and Performance Max. So if you’re asking about, say, the best budget smartphones, you might see an AI answer with an ad for one right inside it.

Why This Matters

Let’s be real, ads are how Google makes most of its money. In fact, it earned nearly $96.5 billion in ad revenue in just one quarter last year. So it’s no surprise that the company is trying to figure out how to monetise AI-powered search, especially as more users start turning to it.

And with competition from tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, Google has a big head start — with 16.5 billion visits to its AI search in just December 2024 alone. Now, it’s using that lead to start shaping how ads will work in this new search experience.

What Advertisers Need To Know

To get your ads into AI Mode, you’ll need to use Google’s AI-driven tools like Broad Match and automated Performance Max campaigns. The idea is to help users take “the next step” after seeing AI results, whether it’s buying a product or learning more.

Google also wants website owners to focus on useful content, better visuals, and accessibility, basically, make your content helpful and easy to navigate, because that’s what AI Mode is aiming to highlight.