Ads Officially Invade Google’s AI Overviews in Search

Google displays ads in AI Overviews featured image
Image Courtesy: Google
In Short
  • AI Overviews in Google Search will start displaying relevant shopping ads, initially in the US.
  • This comes as an attempt to help potential buyers make an informed decision through Search.
  • Additionally, ads in AI overviews will also help advertisers make the most out of their products.

We are used to Google displaying ads in its search results and even ads popping up on websites all the time. However, Google is taking it a step further to introduce ads into AI Overviews. For those unaware, AI Overviews summarizes the topic of your Google Search query to save you time.

To explain how these ads will be displayed in AI Overviews, Google lets us in on an example in its official blog post. Google states that if you have spent a day at a park and now have grass stains on your jeans and do a Google Search on how to get rid of them, you will now find stain removers and other relevant products listed as sponsored products below.

From the looks of it, these commercial products will appear based on their ratings and popularity, making them all the more viable to users. As Google notes,

Instead of needing another search to find the right product, relevant Shopping ads appear right within the AI Overview, allowing you to quickly and easily find the perfect stain remover (or any product, whatsoever).

Moreover, these relevant shopping ads would trigger only for specific search queries that require it. These ads in AI Overviews do not take us by surprise since Google showcased a demo of how Search and Shopping ads would appear within AI Overviews back in May this year during the Marketing Live conference.

AI Overviews in Google Search displaying shopping ads
Image Courtesy: Google

Google Lens is based on a similar core functionality to help buyers find products easily. Whether you are using Circle to Search or are searching with your camera, Google Lens displays relevant products instantly. On top of that, starting this week, Lens is also getting an upgrade, displaying a more helpful results page.

Talking directly to advertisers, Google states, “This presents a unique opportunity for advertisers — 75% of US consumers get excited when they come across a new product perfectly aligned with their needs. With Shopping ads, you can connect with motivated shoppers at the moment their interest is piqued.”

At the recent Google for India event, we also got a good look at how we can soon Ask with Videos to get answers in AI Overviews. While ads in Google’s AI Overviews are currently limited to US users, they will expand to other regions very soon. It will be interesting to see how AI Overviews embrace these ads further without disrupting user experience.

What do you think about Google’s ad approach in AI Overviews? Tell us in the comments section below!

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