Ads in AI Mode Expand to 10 More Countries, With the UK Due in Q4

Google is expanding ads in AI Mode beyond the US. In a post on 28 October, Shashi Thakur, VP and GM of Google Search Ads and Ads on Google Experiences, said:

Now we're scaling ads in AI Mode in Australia, Canada, India, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Singapore.

For UK advertisers, the important line is the next one: "In Q4 2026, we plan to expand to additional locales, including Brazil, Mexico, and the United Kingdom." So ads in AI Mode should reach the UK before the end of the year.

What's changing

Ten more countries now. Australia, Canada, India, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Singapore. These are mostly English-speaking markets, which suggests Google is scaling where its ad formats and language models are most mature.

Brazil, Mexico and the UK in Q4. Google says "including", so this may not be the full list for the next wave.

Multiturn ads in the US. Google says: "To allow ads in follow-up queries in AI Mode, we are launching multiturn ads in the U.S." Until now, an AI Mode conversation could show ads on the first query. Multiturn ads can also appear as the user asks follow-up questions. That matters because AI Mode sessions are often conversations: someone starts broad ("best running shoes for flat feet") and narrows down over several turns, and the later turns usually carry the clearest buying intent.

Labelling. "Ads will be clearly labeled as 'Sponsored.'"

Google's performance claim

Google says "click-through rates are already similar between sponsored and organic product list items within AI Mode". The footnote cites Google internal data from the US between 20 August and 3 September 2026.

Treat that with some care. It compares sponsored product listings with organic product listings inside AI Mode, not AI Mode ads with standard Search ads. It also covers two weeks of US data, measured by Google. It tells you shoppers don't seem to avoid sponsored products in AI Mode. It doesn't tell you what your cost per acquisition will be.

The post gives no detail on new advertiser controls, separate AI Mode reporting or extra formats. It says Google will "continue testing new formats". For setup detail, Google links to its Google Ads help article on ads in AI experiences.

What UK advertisers should do before Q4

Google's post doesn't announce a separate AI Mode campaign type, so preparation happens in the account you already run:

1. Check which campaign types are eligible. Google's help article on ads in AI experiences lists the campaign types and settings that can serve there. Read it before assuming your current campaigns qualify.
2. Improve your product feed. Product list ads in AI Mode draw on Merchant Center data. Clear titles, accurate attributes, good images and up-to-date prices all help. They also help your free listings.
3. Review your landing pages. AI Mode queries tend to be longer and more specific. Pages that answer specific use cases ("for flat feet", "for small gardens") are a better match than broad category pages.
4. Get your conversion tracking right. Smart bidding decides whether to enter new auctions, including AI Mode ones, based on your conversion data. If that data is wrong, the system will bid badly in these new placements too. Our PPC management work starts with a tracking check for this reason.
5. Plan how you'll measure it. If Google doesn't report AI Mode separately, you'll need to watch for changes in search term reports, query length and performance by match type once the UK rollout lands.

This is also an organic question. As AI Mode carries more ads, the space for organic links in commercial answers gets more competitive. Our AI search optimisation service covers how brands get cited in those answers.

Sources

• Google: Ads in AI Mode expand to new markets (28 October 2026)
• Google Ads Help: About ads in AI experiences