BUSINESSCompanies · · Source: TechCrunch
Google takes ads in AI Search international for the first time
Google is bringing ads in its AI-powered Search to international markets for the first time. The company announced the move on October 28, 2026, alongside quarterly results that showed classic search ad growth slowing sharply.
What Google announced
According to TechCrunch, Google is expanding ads in Search's AI Mode to international markets. Google executive Philipp Schindler described it as taking the AI Search ad business “global for the first time”. Google didn't say which countries or languages come first. In the US, multi-turn ad formats will appear across several questions in a conversation.
Google's early data: sponsored product listings in AI Mode get click-through rates comparable to organic listings.
The numbers behind it
- Alphabet Q3 2026 revenue: $127.6 billion, up 25%.
- Google Search revenue: up 12% – after 19% in Q1 and 17% in Q2.
- Google Cloud: $30.7 billion, more than doubled.
- AI Mode queries are about three times longer than classic searches, according to Sundar Pichai.
What this means for you
- AI Search is becoming ad space. If you run Google Ads, prepare for new formats and different queries – longer, conversational questions instead of short keywords.
- Organic visibility in AI answers gets more valuable, because paid listings will compete for attention there too.
- The launch date for your market is still open – a good moment to prepare content and campaigns rather than catch up later.
Luigi's take
After more than 30 years in marketing, I know this pattern: a new channel launches ad-free, wins users – and then becomes ad space. That's exactly what's happening with AI Search. If you understand early how people ask questions there, you buy cheaper later, because the competition is still asleep.
My advice to marketing leaders: don't wait for the launch in your country. Check now whether your content answers concrete questions – with clear facts, prices and comparisons. That earns visibility in AI answers today and better ads tomorrow, because the same answers are what relevant advertising is built on.
Source
TechCrunch: Google expands AI Search ads globally as core ad growth slows
This article was researched and written with AI assistance. Responsible: Luigi Lugmayr.
