Google AI Mode now shows sponsored local retailer placements in shopping answers
TLDR
Four sponsored placements appeared in a single Google AI Mode answer for retail shoppers, two weeks after Google said AI Mode earns less.
Optimixed Overview
Optimixed's original report on this story.
PPC Land reports that four sponsored placements appeared in one AI Mode answer for retail shoppers, two weeks after Google said AI Mode earns less. The development raises the question of whether more ads can lift fourth-quarter Search sales.
How we got here: earlier coverage
On July 15, Google said its AI Mode ads were appearing on close to 30% of all search queries, and on August 31 it added shopping carousel ads that appear inline and at the bottom of results. On October 28, Google said Search revenue growth had slowed for a second consecutive quarter and pointed to lower AI Mode monetization. By November 5, Google was showing four ads stacked beneath some AI SEO answers in AI Mode, though it had not said how widely the placement runs. Now, four sponsored placements have appeared in a single Google AI Mode answer for retail shoppers, including ads from local retailers.
Summary of earlier coverage
- Nov 5Google tests a fourth ad slot in AI Mode beneath some AI SEO answers, with HubSpot, Yext, Siteimprove and eintelligenceweb ads observed
Google is showing four ads stacked beneath some AI SEO answers in AI Mode, with ads from HubSpot, Yext, Siteimprove and eintelligenceweb observed, but Google has not said how widely the placement runs or whether it will continue.
- Nov 4Google AI Mode Now Displays Up to Four Ads in Responses
Google can now show up to four ads in AI Mode responses for a single query, a placement the outlet notes may not be new given Google's earlier ad-count history.
- Oct 29Alphabet's Q3 ad revenue rises 10.5% as AI Mode ads expand to 10 more markets
Alphabet's Q3 ad revenue rose 10.5% to about $82 billion, and Google said ads in AI Mode will reach 10 more markets.
- Jul 15Google AI Mode ads now appearing on nearly 30% of all search queries
Google's AI Mode ads are now displayed on close to 30% of all search queries, reflecting the company's expanding push to integrate AI-generated content into search results.