Google unveils AI ad & commerce tools across Search

Google unveiled new advertising and commerce tools for Google and YouTube at Google Marketing Live, focusing on Search, AI Mode, YouTube, Google Ads and Google Analytics 360.

The updates include new ad formats for Search and AI Mode, a Gemini-built adviser across ad products, expanded creative tools in Asset Studio, added commerce functions based on the Universal Commerce Protocol, and new Demand Gen features for marketers.

Among the main changes is a set of ad formats designed for AI Search. These are intended to appear within user interactions in Search and AI Mode, linking early-stage discovery to eventual purchase.

The move reflects a broader effort to adapt advertising products to conversational interfaces. Rather than relying only on traditional search listings, Google is shifting to formats that respond more directly to user queries in AI-driven experiences.

Google is also introducing a new adviser built with Gemini. The tool, called Ask Advisor in the wider announcement, is designed to work across Google Ads, Google Analytics, Merchant Centre and Google Marketing Platform.

It will serve as an always-on assistant for marketers, helping them monitor campaign performance and identify problems. The move extends Google's use of generative AI beyond campaign creation into account management and measurement.

Measurement focus

The update also includes changes to analytics. Google is bringing Meridian, its open-source marketing mix model, into Google Analytics 360 as part of a broader redesign of the product around measurement.

That signals a push to give advertisers a more unified view of performance across channels and customer journeys. Marketing mix modelling has become more important for brands as privacy changes and fragmented media consumption make older attribution methods harder to rely on.

Creative production is another focus. New Asset Studio features built with Gemini are intended to help marketers produce ad materials at scale while staying within brand guidelines and adapting content for different audiences and markets.

Asset Studio will centralise parts of the creative workflow and connect design tools with Google's latest AI models. The company presented this as a way for teams to produce more creative variants without the same level of manual effort.

Commerce expansion

On commerce, Google is adding more functions linked to the Universal Commerce Protocol, including checkout in AI Mode in Search and in the Gemini app. It is also integrating Direct Offers for merchants and expanding protocol support into more retail categories.

These changes point to Google's ambition to keep more of the shopping journey within its own services, from product discovery to transaction. The company has been building the underlying systems for that approach through projects such as Universal Cart, AP2 and UCP.

For marketers focused on demand generation, Google is rolling out new AI-based features, including inventory from Google Maps to reach people exploring local areas. Checkout links are also being extended to nine additional markets, while product feeds are expanding to more surfaces and verticals, including automotive.

YouTube also features heavily in the latest product plans. Google is using Gemini to help brands find and work with YouTube creators, while also introducing ad formats aimed at connecting brands with viewers at relevant moments.

That emphasis underlines YouTube's importance within Google's ad business as marketers look for measurable returns from video spending. By linking creator partnerships, Demand Gen campaigns and new ad placements, Google is trying to tighten the relationship between brand advertising and direct response activity.

Vidhya Srinivasan, Vice President and General Manager of Google Ads & Commerce, outlined the company's direction in the announcement.

"As AI transforms the landscape around us, the core mission of advertising and commerce remains the same: connecting people with the businesses that have the answers, products and inspiration they need. What is changing is how this happens. The age-old trade off between a smart decision and fast decision doesn't hold up anymore. As consumers shop smart and shop fast, marketers and retailers need a new playbook to keep pace. Because the only way to win in the age of AI, is with AI," said Srinivasan.

She added: "With Gemini as our foundation, we're redefining what's possible across Search, YouTube and Commerce. These developments bring us closer to a vision we've been working toward for years: a world where AI handles the complexity of execution and allows you to focus on what matters most. What was once a distant goal is now within reach - and we're excited to be building this future with all of you."