Google expands ads in AI-powered Search globally as CEO notes longer queries
Google is expanding advertising in its AI-powered Search internationally, a move announced during Alphabet’s earnings call to boost revenue from AI-generated answers. This comes as Search advertising growth slows, despite Google reporting its highest query growth rate in five years. CEO Sundar Pichai said AI Mode queries average three times longer than traditional searches, with one in five involving voice, images, or documents. Google has surpassed 50 billion visual searches monthly. Chief business officer Philipp Schindler confirmed the global expansion of ads in AI Mode, alongside multi-turn ads in the US. Alphabet reported third-quarter revenue of $127.6 billion, up 25% year-over-year, while Google Search revenue grew 12% to $63.35 billion. Sponsored product listings in AI Mode already show click-through rates comparable to organic results, though the specific international markets were not disclosed.