{"id":2236,"date":"2025-04-26T13:10:12","date_gmt":"2025-04-26T13:10:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adsby.co\/blog\/?p=2236"},"modified":"2025-05-08T14:18:51","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T14:18:51","slug":"will-google-show-ads-in-ai-overviews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adsby.co\/blog\/will-google-show-ads-in-ai-overviews\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Google Show Ads in AI Overviews?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When Google first rolled out its AI Overviews feature, many people wondered: Is this the future of search?<\/em> Instead of giving a list of blue links, Google now offers quick AI-written summaries at the top of the page. It feels faster. It feels easier. But for businesses and advertisers, a big question remained: Where do the ads go?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If users get their answers right away from AI, would they even see the ads<\/a>? And if they don\u2019t see ads, how does Google make money?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fast forward to 2025, and we\u2019re starting to get some real answers. Google has begun testing and showing ads inside AI Overviews. It\u2019s early days, but this move is likely to shape how search looks (and works) in the years ahead. In this post, we\u2019ll break down what\u2019s happening, why it matters, and how it fits into a bigger trend across AI companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, What Are AI Overviews?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve used Google lately and noticed a quick paragraph answering your question before any links show up – that\u2019s an AI Overview<\/a>. It uses Google’s generative AI to summarize information from the web into a short and (hopefully) helpful response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, if you search “how to clean white sneakers,” you might see a step-by-step cleaning guide written by AI at the top of the page \u2014 even before you see any websites. This is different from how Google worked for the past 20 years, where you mainly got a list of links and had to click around to find what you needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Google says AI Overviews are meant to save users time, and based on early reports, people like it. In fact, by early 2025, about 1.5 billion people each month were interacting with AI Overviews in search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But while it’s great for users, it raised a real concern for Google\u2019s business: if people get answers instantly, do they still click on ads? And if they don\u2019t, how does Google keep making money?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are Ads Already Showing in AI Overviews?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The short answer is: yes<\/strong>, but it\u2019s just getting started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Google first talked about this back in May 2024 during their Marketing Live event. They said they were thinking about putting ads into AI Overviews – but in a way that wouldn\u2019t feel too pushy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later in 2024, Google started testing ads in AI Overviews on mobile devices in the U.S. Now in 2025, ads have quietly become part of the AI Overview experience, but only when the search shows commercial intent<\/em>. That\u2019s just a fancy way of saying: if you\u2019re searching for something you might want to buy, like \u201cbest shoes for running\u201d or \u201ccheapest hotels in Paris,\u201d Google may show you a few sponsored products right inside the AI-generated answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ads are clearly labeled as \u201cSponsored\u201d and are meant to match the AI response without being too distracting. You might see them right above or below the AI summary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, the ads are not gone – they\u2019ve just found a new way to fit in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Is Google Doing This?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One simple reason: money<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Google\u2019s whole business depends on advertising. In fact, in the first quarter of 2025, Google\u2019s parent company, Alphabet, made about $90.2 billion. Out of that, $66.9 billion came from advertising. That\u2019s roughly 75% of their total earnings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of that advertising money still comes from search ads – the little text ads you see when you Google something. Search ads alone brought in over $50 billion in the first three months of 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If AI Overviews made people stop clicking on ads, it would be a huge problem for Google. So instead of fighting the change, Google is adapting. They’re making sure that even as search becomes faster and more AI-driven, ads still have a place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not just about keeping the money flowing. Ads also fund all the free stuff we use from Google \u2014 Gmail, Maps, YouTube, and more. Without strong ad revenue, those products would either get worse or start charging users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short, Google can\u2019t afford to lose ads – so they\u2019re finding ways to make ads work within the new AI search style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What It Looks Like<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s say you search for “how to remove wine stains from carpet.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll likely get a neat little paragraph at the top of your search results with cleaning tips. But now, you might also see a small section right there in the AI Overview offering stain removal sprays or carpet cleaners you can buy – from real brands, with a clear \u201cSponsored\u201d label.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You still get your answer. But Google gets to show you a few ads without needing you to scroll down the page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a smart move. Users aren\u2019t forced to click anything, but if you\u2019re already looking for cleaning advice, you might actually want<\/em> to see a product suggestion. It feels helpful instead of annoying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What About Other Companies? Are They Adding Ads to AI?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not just Google thinking this way. Across the tech world, AI tools are starting to figure out how to bring ads into their products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OpenAI and ChatGPT<\/strong>
When ChatGPT first launched, its CEO Sam Altman said he didn\u2019t like ads. He wanted people to pay for the service instead. But now, reality is kicking in. ChatGPT has hundreds of millions of users, and most of them don\u2019t pay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to reports, OpenAI expects to start making money from free users soon<\/a> – and that likely means ads. While no official ads have launched yet inside ChatGPT, it\u2019s clear that OpenAI is working on ways to add them without ruining the experience. This could mean seeing small sponsored suggestions during chats or product mentions in answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perplexity AI<\/strong>
Another AI company, Perplexity, is going even further. They\u2019re launching their own web browser that tracks what you do online to show ultra-targeted ads<\/a>. That\u2019s right – they\u2019re trying to copy Google\u2019s success by learning as much about users as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a little creepy to think about your AI browser watching your every move, but it shows how valuable ads are for companies trying to grow fast in the AI space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft and Bing<\/strong>
Microsoft has already added ads to Bing\u2019s AI chatbot. If you use Bing\u2019s Copilot to search for something, you might see a sponsored hotel, product, or travel site right in the AI answer. Microsoft isn\u2019t shy about it – they know ads are necessary to make AI tools free and available to more people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Could This Mean for the Future of Search?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re a marketer, business owner, or just someone who uses Google every day, these changes matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what could happen next:<\/p>\n\n\n\n