AI search is getting its ad business in order, and it’s going global.
On Wednesday, Google said it is scaling ads in AI Mode, its conversational search experience, to 10 more countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, as well as markets in Africa such as Kenya and Nigeria. In the fourth quarter of 2026, it plans to add more locales, including Brazil, Mexico and the United Kingdom.
Ads in the follow-up
The bigger change for US advertisers may be multiturn ads. Google is launching them in the US so ads can appear in follow-up queries inside AI Mode, not just after the first question. Ads will be clearly labeled “Sponsored,” and Google says it will keep testing new formats.
In a blog post, Shashi Thakur, Google’s VP and GM for Search Ads, said AI Mode queries are on average three times longer than traditional searches, which helps Google understand what people want. He also said click-through rates are already similar between sponsored and organic product list items within AI Mode, citing Google internal US data.
The timing
The expansion arrived the same day Alphabet reported third-quarter results in which search revenue grew 12% to $63.35 billion, short of analysts’ estimates, according to CNBC. TechCrunch framed the move as Google pushing AI Search ads globally as core ad growth slows.
For advertisers, the practical takeaway is that AI Mode is no longer a US-only experiment. Brands with international campaigns will increasingly see their ads show up inside conversational answers rather than only on a classic results page.
Why it matters
Conversational search changes how B2B buyers research vendors. Longer, more specific questions mean ads and content can match intent more precisely, but they also mean fewer, more competitive placements.
For IT companies running paid search, it’s time to review whether campaigns are eligible for AI Mode and how messaging holds up in multi-step conversations. Paid search works best alongside direct outbound, so you’re not relying on one channel to fill the pipeline.
Sources: Google, TechCrunch. Written by the xRapid Media LLP team.
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