Google is planning to introduce ads in AI Overviews in India later this year, the company stated in a press release. The Mountain View-based tech giant made the announcement at its Google Marketing Live (GML) India event on Thursday. Alongside, the company has also introduced a slew of new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered ad tools for brands and enterprises. Among them, the biggest tool is “Generated for You” that can go through a brand’s product catalogue and generate images and video ads while aligning with the brand’s identity.
Google Plans to Show Indian Search Users Ads in AI Overviews
In October 2024, several Google Search users in the US reported seeing ads in the AI Overviews section when searching about certain products and recommendations. The tech giant later officially released ads to both mobile and desktop users in the US, highlighting that only relevant, search query-based ads will be served to users. So far, the company has not expanded these ads in any other region.
However, at the GML India event, Google shared its plans to begin displaying ads in AI Overview to India users later this year. There was no mention of any particular timeline for when users can expect to see them. Just like in the US, these ads will be served on both mobile and desktop. Notably, only English language ads will be shown to users.
Google revealed at the event that globally, more than 1.5 billion people use AI Overviews, and in India, the feature has witnessed a strong 10 percent growth in the type of queries that show these AI-generated summaries. This high visibility might have been the reason behind Google’s decision to expand ads in AI Overviews.
In the US, ads in AI Overviews underneath the summary, in a specified “Sponsored” section. These ads come with a title, short descriptor, and a clickable purchase link. The products shown are based on the search keywords.
Apart from this, the tech giant is also introducing a new AI ad tool in its Product Studio, which will be available later this year. Dubbed “Generated for You,” it can automatically identify the most relevant products from a brand’s catalogue and generate images and videos that align with the brand’s identity. These ad assets can then be used across Google platforms, and advertisers can track their performance. The company said the AI tool can also analyse trends to suggest marketing campaign concepts and seasonal promotions.