Google announced new advertising options for its AI-powered search experience on October 28, 2026, as businesses face growing questions about how AI changes search visibility. The company is introducing ads in follow-up conversations in AI Mode in the United States and expanding AI Mode ads to additional countries. The announcements come alongside slower year-over-year growth in Alphabet’s Google Search & other revenue in the third quarter.

Google’s AI Overviews display AI-generated summaries alongside search results, while AI Mode lets people ask more complex questions and continue a conversation. Both experiences can provide links to relevant websites, but the placement and presentation of those links differ from a traditional list of results. This creates new considerations for businesses that depend on search engines to attract potential customers.

According to Alphabet’s third-quarter 2026 filing, Google Search & other revenue increased 12% year over year to $63.35 billion, compared with 19% growth in the first quarter. Paid clicks across Google Search & other properties rose 8% year over year in Q3, down from 13% in Q2. These figures show slower growth, but they do not establish that AI Overviews or AI Mode caused the slowdown.

AI-generated summaries can appear above standard search results, which may change where users click. A Pew Research Center study of U.S. Google searches from March 2025 found that people clicked a traditional search result in 8% of visits with an AI summary, compared with 15% when no AI summary appeared. The findings suggest a potential traffic challenge for some websites, although they do not show that every industry or website has experienced declining traffic.

Search engine optimization remains important in AI-powered Google Search. Google’s guidance for site owners explains that pages do not need separate AI-specific markup or a new optimization method to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode. Businesses should continue focusing on helpful content, accessible pages, clear website structure, relevant internal links, and accurate business information. These practices can support both standard search visibility and eligibility to appear as supporting links in AI search features.

Digital advertising is facing similar changes. Advertisers have traditionally relied on Google Search ads to reach customers searching for specific products or services. However, AI-powered answers are introducing new ways for advertisements to appear, potentially changing how users notice and interact with paid promotions.

Google’s October 28 announcement confirmed that the company was launching multiturn ads in AI Mode in the United States. These sponsored placements can appear during follow-up queries as people refine their questions in a search conversation. Google said the ads would be clearly labeled as “Sponsored.”

In the same announcement, Google said it was scaling AI Mode advertising in Australia, Canada, India, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Singapore. It also said it planned to expand to Brazil, Mexico, and the United Kingdom during the fourth quarter of 2026. The additional markets are part of Google’s advertising rollout, but they do not guarantee better campaign results for every advertiser.

For digital marketers, the changes could require a broader approach to online visibility. Businesses may need to produce clearer, more helpful website content that answers customer questions and makes their products or services easier to understand. Strong brand recognition, trustworthy information, and well-organized websites could become increasingly important as AI tools influence purchasing decisions.

For businesses focused on generating qualified inquiries, organic SEO for lead generation remains an important approach because it connects useful website content with customer needs and buying intent.

Marketing teams should track more than rankings or raw page views when assessing these changes. Google Search Console continues to report search traffic, and Google introduced a separate Generative AI performance report in June 2026 to show impressions and pages appearing in AI-powered search features. That report began with a limited rollout, so availability can vary by property. Businesses should also compare search visibility with conversions, qualified leads, and revenue where those figures can be measured.

Businesses running paid search campaigns can also review their Google Ads conversion tracking to ensure form submissions, phone calls, and other valuable customer actions are being measured correctly.

Google says searches made in AI Mode are three times longer on average than traditional search queries. Longer requests may reveal more detail about what a user needs, potentially creating more opportunities for relevant advertisements and helpful content. However, longer queries alone do not prove that advertisements will cost less or generate better conversion rates.

However, it remains unclear how these changes will affect advertising costs, website traffic, and business performance over the long term. Results may vary depending on the industry, target audience, search intent, and advertising strategy.

For businesses across the United States, the developments highlight the importance of adapting digital marketing strategies as search technology evolves. Companies that combine effective SEO, useful content, paid advertising, and accurate performance tracking may be better positioned to compete in an increasingly AI-driven market.

Before increasing advertising budgets, marketers should assess whether their paid campaigns are ready to scale, considering conversion quality, tracking accuracy, and campaign performance.

For marketers, the practical response is to protect established SEO fundamentals while testing how AI search affects visibility and campaign results. Businesses should monitor organic performance, review paid-search reports, and prioritize qualified leads and conversions over traffic alone. Google’s latest announcements show that search advertising is evolving, but the long-term effects on individual businesses remain uncertain.