The long-awaited and much-anticipated Google AI Overview Ads are going live and will begin showing to mobile U.S. users, Google announced today.
We first learned Google would start testing this new AI Overview ad format five months ago (it was one of the big announcements at Google Marketing Live 2024 in May). However, we’ve yet to see the ads in the wild between then and today (as far as I know).
What AI Overview Ads look like. The ads appear directly underneath the organic AI-generated answer in the AI Overview. From the one image Google provided, it appears like a typical Shopping ad underneath a “Sponsored” label.
Here’s what it looks like:
When ads will appear. A Google spokesperson clarified to Search Engine Land what types of queries will trigger AI Overview ads – and where:
“If a user’s question has a commercial angle – meaning it’s something where a product or service could be relevant – then an ad may appear above, below or within the response.
“Ads appear directly within AI Overviews when relevant to both the query and the information provided.
“For example, for the question, ‘how do I get a grass stain out of jeans?’ the AI Overview provides a number of helpful solutions, ranging from using common household products, to commercial products like stain removers. 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.”
How to appear in AI Overview Ads. No action is required from advertisers for their ads to appear as an AI Overview ad, according to Google:
“You can show ads in these experiences with your existing AI-powered Search ads, Shopping and Performance Max campaigns. There’s no additional action required.”
Additionally, Google told Search Engine Land:
“Ads that serve within the AI Overview will be search and shopping ads from existing campaigns that are able to win the auction and address the query and the information in the AI Overview.”
No new reporting. Want to know how your AI Overviews Ads are performing? Well, bad news. You won’t know. Google’s spokesperson told Search Engine Land:
“We are currently not offering segmented reporting when ads show above, below or within Search AI Overviews. Advertisers can consult the Search Terms Report, as usual.”
No way out. I also asked Google whether advertisers could opt out of AI Overview Ads. Google told me:
“No. We’ll continue listening to feedback from advertisers and consumers to learn how Ads in AI Overviews can be helpful in people’s information-seeking journeys.”
Why we care. AI Overviews occupy the most valuable space on Google’s search results. So appearing here could lead to clicks, sales and revenue for your business.
That said, the ads appear lower (under an AI-generated answer) than the classic location of search ads (above the organic search results) – so questions remain about whether this location could result in a worse return on investment for advertisers (which, again, will be hard to know given the lack of reporting transparency).
Of course, if you believe Google, they continue to tell us (while sharing no data) that people find these ads “helpful.”