On October 28, Google expanded ads in AI Mode, its conversational, Gemini-powered search experience, to 10 more countries, including Canada, Australia and India, with the U.K., Brazil and Mexico scheduled before the end of the year. In the U.S., Google also launched multiturn ads, which can appear as people ask follow-up questions in the same AI Mode conversation.
If you run Google Ads, this isn’t a future trend. It’s already in your account.
How we got here
- October 2024: ads begin appearing in AI Overviews on mobile in the U.S.
- February 2026: Google introduces Shopping ads in AI Mode, which at the time had more than 75 million daily active users.
- August 2026: Shopping ads move into the body of AI Mode answers.
- October 2026: global expansion and multiturn ads.
What changes for advertisers
- You’re already eligible. Existing Search, Shopping and Performance Max campaigns are automatically entered. No new campaign or budget is required.
- You can’t opt out separately. AI Mode and AI Overviews placements can’t be targeted or excluded on their own, apart from Search.
- Match type matters. Broad match, AI Max, Shopping and Performance Max can match both direct and “contextual” queries. Exact and phrase match only qualify when the query shows clear commercial intent.
- Reporting is blended. AI Mode results roll into your standard campaign reports, and the triggering queries show up only in aggregate.
- Google writes some of the words. Short “AI explainers” that appear around your ads can’t be written, edited or approved by advertisers.
Why it matters
People search differently in AI Mode. Google says queries there average about three times the length of traditional searches, and follow-up questions in the U.S. grew more than 40% a month on average this spring. Longer, more conversational questions reward advertisers whose landing pages and product data actually answer them.
The keyword is no longer the whole story. The question behind it is.
What to do this week
- Audit your negative keywords and brand exclusions. They still apply in AI Mode and are now your main guardrails.
- Tighten product feeds and landing pages so they answer real questions: sizes, pricing, comparisons, “is this right for me.”
- Decide where you’re comfortable with broad match and AI Max, and where you want exact match control.
- Watch blended performance closely through Q4. If cost per conversion shifts, AI Mode traffic may be part of the reason.
AI Mode won’t replace the fundamentals of good search marketing. But it raises the bar on clear offers, clean data and content that answers the question people are really asking.
Resources
- Google: Ads in AI Mode are going global (official Google blog)
- Google Search Central: AI features and your website
- Every Google Ads change in 2026, Common Thread Collective
- Next Wave Marketing Summit: Data, AI and what’s next (Nov 12)
