AI is rewriting the path to purchase.

AI Mode & product discovery

A US study found that 57% of product links in Google AI Mode answers led to Google Shopping, while 46.5% of product answers linked exclusively to Google pages.

For retailers, this means customers may discover and compare products without immediately visiting their website. Website traffic alone may therefore miss part of a brand’s visibility in AI search.

The findings measure displayed links, rather than clicks or sales.

Ads in AI Mode are expanding

Ads will be able to show on follow-up questions in AI Mode.

These are called multiturn ads. They appear when users go back and forth with AI Mode and the conversation has commercial relevance.

Launching in the US first, with ads in AI Mode coming to the UK in Q4.

Ads in AI Overviews

Google AI search ads: what the UK update means.

• UK launch planned for Q4 2026: Google is bringing ads to AI Mode, its conversational search experience. The announcement gives no exact UK launch date.
• More opportunities during product research: ads can match both a shopper’s question and the AI response, helping brands appear as users explore needs and compare options.
• Existing campaigns can participate: Search, Shopping and Performance Max campaigns are eligible. AI Max and broad match extend contextual coverage; exact and phrase match can still serve on directly commercial searches.
• Search behaviour is changing: Google reports AI Mode queries are approximately 3× longer than traditional searches, reflecting more detailed, conversational questions.
• Practical takeaway: review conversion tracking, product feeds and landing pages, then test broader targeting against commercial targets. Advertisers cannot buy these placements separately.