Google is bringing ads to AI Mode in Australia, so the chatbot answer now comes with a sponsor
By Brett Gavaghan, Founder of Adaptd ·
Google says ads in AI Mode, its conversational search, are scaling in 10 more countries including Australia and New Zealand. They'll be labelled Sponsored.
The short version
- Google is expanding ads in AI Mode, its conversational search, to 10 more countries including Australia and New Zealand.
- Google announced it on 28 October 2026; the ads are labelled Sponsored, and multiturn ads in follow-up questions start in the US first.
- If you run Google Ads, ask whoever manages them how your campaigns can appear in AI Mode.
Search used to be ten blue links and a few ads at the top. Now it's a chat, and the ads have pulled up a chair.
What are ads in AI Mode?
Ads in AI Mode are sponsored placements inside Google's conversational search, labelled Sponsored. Google said on 28 October 2026 that they are scaling in Australia, Canada, India, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Singapore.
Brazil, Mexico and the UK are planned for later in the fourth quarter. Google says AI Mode questions are on average three times longer than traditional searches, based on its US data from May 2026.
What's in it for advertisers?
Google says sponsored product listings in AI Mode already get click-through rates similar to the unpaid listings, based on US data from late August to early September 2026. That's Google grading its own homework, but it's the only number on offer.
Multiturn ads, which can show up in follow-up questions, are launching in the US first, with no date yet for Australia. Google points advertisers to a Google Ads help page for the details of how to take part.
What should your business do about it?
Businesses that already run Google Ads should ask their agency or whoever manages the account how their campaigns can show in AI Mode. Longer questions mean people are describing exactly what they want, so your ad copy and landing pages should answer specific questions.
My advice: don't panic-spend. Watch your search reports for a month and see whether AI Mode traffic turns into enquiries. If you don't run ads, your organic content still has to answer real questions, which was the job all along.
The answer engine now has a sponsor. At least it's not reading the ad out in a radio voice.
Sources
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