If you're advertising on Google, I’m sure you’re wondering what this means for your campaigns. Will your adverts appear in AI-generated conversations? Will you need to change your advertising strategy? And more importantly, will it bring you more customers?

There are some interesting opportunities here, particularly for businesses whose customers spend time researching and comparing products or services before making a decision.

But before you start changing your campaigns or increasing your advertising budget, it's worth looking at what Google has actually announced, how adverts in AI Mode work and what we still don't know.

Essentially, it means your Google adverts could appear alongside AI-generated responses when someone is researching a product, comparing services or asking follow-up questions.

For example, someone looking for a new electric car might ask Google AI Mode to compare different models based on their budget, driving habits and preferred features. As Google responds to their questions, relevant adverts from car manufacturers or leasing companies could appear alongside the information.

This is different from traditional Google Search, where adverts typically appear in response to individual search queries.

On 28 October 2026, Google announced that it was expanding advertising in AI Mode to ten additional countries, including Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and Singapore.

The UK, alongside Brazil and Mexico, is expected to follow during Q4 2026, although Google hasn't confirmed an exact launch date.

Google is also introducing what it calls multiturn ads in the United States. These allow adverts to appear during follow-up questions within an ongoing AI Mode conversation, rather than just alongside the initial search.

For advertisers, this creates opportunities to reach potential customers while they're exploring their options, rather than relying solely on individual searches.

With traditional Google Search, someone typically enters a query, reviews the results and may conduct another search if they need more information.

AI Mode works differently. Instead of starting a new search each time, users can ask follow-up questions within the same conversation, building on the information they've already received.

For example, someone researching business software might start by asking which CRM systems are suitable for a small business. They could then narrow their options by asking about pricing, features, integration with existing tools and customer support.

Each follow-up question gives Google more context about what the person is looking for.

According to Google, queries in AI Mode are, on average, three times longer than conventional searches. However, this figure comes from Google's own US research in May 2026, so it may not reflect how UK users will interact with AI Mode.

For advertisers, the value isn't necessarily in the length of the query, but in the additional context it provides. A business could potentially reach someone whose requirements closely match its products or services, even if that person hasn't searched directly for the business.

However, knowing more about someone's requirements doesn't necessarily mean they're ready to buy. They may still be comparing options or gathering information before making a decision.

No. And this is something advertisers should be aware of.

Google says adverts from eligible Search, Shopping and Performance Max campaigns may automatically appear in AI Mode, where the format is available.

So, you don't need to create a separate AI Mode campaign or allocate a dedicated budget.

However, eligibility depends on the campaign's targeting settings and how Google matches adverts to searches in AI Mode.

Campaigns using broad match, AI Max or Performance Max may have their adverts shown based on the wider context of an AI Mode conversation, even when the user hasn't specifically searched for the advertised product or service.

For exact and phrase match keywords, adverts may appear when the user's query directly matches the advertiser's keyword targeting and indicates commercial intent.

This doesn't mean you should immediately switch everything to broad match or Performance Max.

Your choice of campaign type and targeting should still depend on your objectives, budget, conversion data and the level of control your business needs.

It's also worth knowing that Google currently doesn't offer a separate setting to target only AI Mode or opt out of it independently from Search.

It's too early to know which businesses will see the best results from advertising in AI Mode. However, I think it could be particularly useful for businesses whose customers spend time researching and comparing their options before making a purchase or enquiry.

Here are three types of businesses worth considering.

1. Businesses Selling Products or Services That Customers Compare

   Car leasing is a good example. Customers often compare monthly payments, initial rentals, mileage allowances and vehicle specifications before deciding which deal suits their needs.

   The same applies to accommodation providers, where customers might compare locations, facilities, prices and booking conditions, or software providers whose customers need to assess different features and subscription costs.

   For these businesses, AI Mode could provide additional opportunities to reach potential customers as they narrow down their options.

   However, being included in someone's research doesn't guarantee a sale. What matters is whether that interest eventually results in a genuine enquiry or purchase.

2. B2B Companies With Longer Buying Cycles

   Business customers rarely make significant purchasing decisions based on a single search.

   For example, someone looking for a new CRM system might research different providers, compare features, investigate integration with their existing software and assess the costs before contacting a supplier.

   The same applies to businesses looking for cybersecurity services, accounting software or a marketing agency.

   AI Mode could help these companies reach potential customers earlier in the decision-making process.

   But for B2B advertisers, I'd be particularly careful about how success is measured. A form submission doesn't necessarily mean someone is ready to buy.

   I'd want to know whether those enquiries turn into qualified leads, sales conversations and, ultimately, paying customers.

3. Healthcare and Other Regulated Services

   People researching private healthcare, financial advice or other regulated services often have several questions before choosing a provider.

   For example, someone considering a private medical consultation might want to compare costs, waiting times, available services and what happens during an appointment. Similarly, someone looking for financial advice may want to understand the different services available and how advisers charge.

   These are the kinds of detailed questions that make AI Mode potentially relevant.

   However, there is an important consideration for businesses operating in regulated industries.

   Google has additional advertising restrictions for sensitive sectors, including healthcare and financial services. Healthcare adverts are currently restricted from appearing within AI Overviews, and eligibility for similar placements in AI Mode has not yet been fully clarified.

   Businesses in these sectors should therefore check Google's advertising policies and placement eligibility before assuming they'll be able to advertise in AI Mode.

While AI Mode advertising could create new opportunities, there are still some important questions about reporting, control and whether it will deliver a worthwhile return on advertising spend.

This is one of my biggest concerns.

Google currently combines AI Mode performance with its standard campaign reporting. Impressions, clicks, conversions and costs are included alongside other Google Ads activity, without a separate breakdown for AI Mode placements.

Although relevant queries may appear in the Search terms report, advertisers cannot currently identify how much of their campaign budget is being spent specifically on AI Mode.

So, if your cost per conversion increases after AI Mode advertising becomes available, how will you know whether those placements are responsible?

Without separate reporting, it will be difficult to assess whether AI Mode is contributing to your campaign's performance or making it more expensive to generate enquiries and sales.

Google says existing campaign controls, including negative keywords and applicable asset settings, will continue to apply.

However, advertisers cannot independently choose to advertise only in AI Mode or exclude these placements from their Search campaigns.

Google may also display AI-generated explanations alongside certain adverts, using information from the conversation and publicly available sources, including advertisers' websites.

Unlike normal advert text, these explanations cannot be manually edited or approved by advertisers.

That makes it particularly important to ensure your website contains accurate, up-to-date information about your products and services.

Google says sponsored product listings in AI Mode have achieved click-through rates comparable with organic product listings during its US testing.

That's encouraging, but it doesn't tell us whether those clicks lead to enquiries, customers or profitable sales.

A good click-through rate doesn't necessarily mean a good conversion rate. And even when an advert generates conversions, those conversions need to produce enough business to justify the advertising cost.

Until we have more evidence of how AI Mode performs, particularly in the UK, I'd be cautious about assuming it will deliver better results than existing Search advertising.

For now, I wouldn't recommend making major changes to your Google Ads campaigns just because AI Mode advertising is coming to the UK.

Instead, I'd focus on five practical steps that will help you assess its impact when more information becomes available.

1. Check Your Conversion Tracking

   Are you measuring the actions that actually matter to your business?

   If you're generating enquiries, are you tracking genuine leads or counting every form submission as a conversion? If you're selling products online, are your purchase values being recorded accurately?

   This is particularly important if you're using automated bidding. Google's bidding systems rely on conversion data to identify advertising opportunities that are more likely to achieve your campaign objectives.

   If you're measuring the wrong actions, introducing additional advertising placements won't solve the problem.

2. Review Your Landing Pages

   Think about the questions customers ask before contacting your business.

   If you provide business vehicle leasing, for example, does your website clearly explain initial rentals, contract lengths, mileage allowances and what happens at the end of an agreement?

   Someone clicking an advert after asking a detailed question in AI Mode will expect to find information relevant to their needs.

   If they have to search through your website to find it, you risk losing a potential customer.

   Remember, your Google ad makes a promise, and your landing page needs to keep it.

3. Establish Your Current Campaign Performance

   Before AI Mode advertising becomes available, make sure you know how your existing campaigns are performing.

   Look at your conversion rates, cost per conversion, number of genuine enquiries or sales, lead quality and revenue generated.

   These figures will give you a benchmark against which to compare future performance.

   Although this won't tell you exactly how AI Mode placements are performing if Google continues combining the data, it will help you identify changes in your overall campaign results.

4. Watch for Changes to Google's Reporting and Controls

   Google may introduce additional reporting or controls as AI Mode advertising develops.

   I'd pay particular attention to whether advertisers eventually gain access to separate placement performance data or more control over where their adverts appear.

   Until then, be cautious about making campaign changes based on assumptions about AI Mode traffic.

5. Don't Increase Your Budget Just Because AI Mode Is Coming

   If your existing campaigns are delivering profitable enquiries or sales, there's no reason to increase your advertising budget simply because Google is introducing another advertising opportunity.

   Equally, if your campaigns are struggling to convert, AI Mode isn't necessarily going to improve their performance.

   Focus on getting the fundamentals right: accurate conversion tracking, relevant targeting, useful landing pages and a clear understanding of what you're getting back from your advertising spend.

   Once we have more evidence of how AI Mode advertising performs in the UK, we can make informed decisions about whether any changes are worthwhile.

I think there's a real opportunity here. Someone who has spent time researching their options, comparing products or services and asking follow-up questions before clicking an advert may already have a clearer idea of what they're looking for.

That could mean more informed visitors and potentially better-quality enquiries. Of course, we'll need to see how this translates into actual conversions and sales once AI Mode advertising becomes available in the UK.

For now, my advice is to concentrate on making your existing Google Ads campaigns work effectively. Just because there's a new advertising opportunity doesn't mean you should rush to change your strategy or increase your budget.

Make sure your conversion tracking is accurate, your landing pages answer your customers' questions and you know what a profitable enquiry or sale looks like.

Then, when we have more evidence of how AI Mode advertising performs in the UK, you'll be in a better position to decide whether any changes are worthwhile.

Because ultimately, the question isn't whether your adverts can appear in AI Mode.

It's whether those adverts will help your business achieve better results.