Google Expands Ads in AI Overviews: What B2B Marketers Do

Google just made it clear that AI search is becoming a paid media surface—not a side experiment. If you’re a B2B marketer relying on high-intent search demand, this matters now because AI-generated results are increasingly where attention concentrates.

And unlike past SERP changes where ads were “around” the result, Google is signaling that ads belong inside the AI experience itself. That shifts how you should think about visibility, competition, and the role of Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) across ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Copilot, Perplexity, Brave, and Meta AI.

The news: ads in AI Overviews are expanding

Google is expanding advertising in AI Overviews to additional markets. The announcement is captured in the headline: “Google to expand ads in AI Overviews to more markets,” published via Google News coverage of AI Overviews ads.

In other words, if you’ve been watching AI Overviews as a “US-only” or “limited rollout” phenomenon, this is a signal that the commercial layer is scaling alongside the product.

A second signal: ads belong in AI search, not Gemini (yet)

A separate, related update adds important context: a Google VP draws a line between AI search and Gemini when it comes to monetization.

The quote: “A Google VP explains why ads make sense in AI search but not Gemini — yet,” also surfaced via Google News coverage.

The implication is straightforward: Google is positioning AI search (including AI Overviews) as an environment where ads are a logical fit, while Gemini—at least for now—is treated differently.

What this means for B2B marketers and media buyers

1) AI Overviews is moving from “visibility risk” to “paid channel reality”

For B2B, the immediate takeaway is that AI Overviews isn’t just a new organic layout to adapt to. It’s becoming a scaled advertising placement.

As Google expands ads in AI Overviews to more markets, more of your target accounts will encounter AI-generated answers with paid content integrated into that experience. That changes how you plan coverage:

• You’re not only competing for classic paid search slots.
• You’re not only optimizing for classic organic rankings.
• You’re preparing for a blended AI answer environment where paid presence can be part of the “answer journey.”

2) “AI search” and “Gemini” are not the same monetization conversation

The Google VP framing matters because it hints at how Google thinks about user intent and ad relevance. The statement that ads make sense in AI search but not Gemini—yet—suggests two different contexts:

• AI search is tied to explicit intent (the user is searching), which supports ad alignment.
• Gemini is treated as a different product context for now.

For B2B teams, that means you should avoid lumping all AI surfaces into one bucket. Your strategy for Google AI Overviews (and search-driven experiences) should be more directly connected to your paid search planning than your strategy for assistant-style experiences.

At the same time, your broader AEO program still needs to account for how buyers ask questions across ChatGPT, Copilot, Perplexity, Brave, and Meta AI—because those platforms shape expectations for “instant answers,” even when the monetization model differs.

3) Expect more pressure on measurement and attribution narratives

When Google expands ads into AI Overviews across more markets, the conversation inside your org will shift from “What is this AI thing?” to “Is it working?”

Even without getting into specific metrics (none were provided in the source claims), the operational reality is that new ad surfaces create:

• New placement behavior to monitor
• New creative and messaging questions (does your value prop read like an answer?)
• New internal scrutiny on spend allocation

If you’re a media buyer, you’ll need to be ready to explain how AI Overview ad visibility supports pipeline goals—especially when execs see AI Overviews as “the top of the page” experience.

Action items: what to do right now

1) Treat AI Overviews as a market-by-market rollout you must track

Because Google is expanding ads in AI Overviews to more markets, you should immediately:

• Identify your priority geos and confirm where AI Overviews ads are appearing for your category terms.
• Build a lightweight monitoring routine (weekly is enough) so you can catch changes as they land.

This is not a one-time audit. Expansion implies ongoing change.

2) Align paid search and AEO teams on one shared “answer” playbook

The Google VP’s logic—ads make sense in AI search—means your paid team can’t operate as if AI Overviews is someone else’s problem.

Run a working session with paid + SEO/content to align on:

• The questions your buyers ask (not just the keywords you bid on)
• The proof points that make your ads feel like credible answers
• The landing page experience that continues the “answer” instead of restarting the funnel

3) Separate your AI search strategy from your Gemini strategy

Don’t assume that what works (or is even allowed) in AI search will map cleanly to Gemini.

Operationally, that means:

• Build AI Overviews plans alongside search plans.
• Keep Gemini experimentation in a separate track, with separate expectations.

You can still pursue AEO across ChatGPT, Copilot, Perplexity, Brave, and Meta AI—but your Google AI Overviews plan should be the one most tightly integrated with your paid search motion, because Google is explicitly scaling ads there.

4) Update executive messaging now, before the rollout hits your revenue geos

If leadership isn’t aware that Google is expanding ads in AI Overviews to more markets, you’ll get caught in reactive mode.

Send a short internal brief that includes:

• The announcement: “Google to expand ads in AI Overviews to more markets” (Google News coverage)
• The positioning: “ads make sense in AI search but not Gemini — yet” (Google News coverage)
• Your plan: monitor, test, and align paid + AEO

Bottom line

Google is scaling ads in AI Overviews to more markets, and a Google VP is explicitly framing ads as a fit for AI search (but not Gemini—yet). If you run B2B growth, you should treat AI Overviews as a real paid + organic battleground and align your AEO and media strategy accordingly.