Google AI Mode Ads Come to Canada: What Changes

Google now shows ads inside AI Mode in Canada. It announced the change on October 28, 2026, for Canada and nine other countries. Ads inside AI Overviews were already showing here in English. Your existing campaigns can qualify automatically, and there is no separate switch to turn it off.

Below is what Google confirmed, including the parts you can’t control, and the 5 changes worth making in your account this month. BlueHat Marketing is a Google Premier Partner and has worked in Canadian search for 21 years.

What Google announced on October 28

In a post on the Google blog, Shashi Thakur, who leads Google’s search ads, said ads in AI Mode are scaling to Australia, Canada, India, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Singapore. Google plans to add more countries later in the fourth quarter of 2026, with Brazil and Mexico named alongside the United Kingdom. Every ad is labelled “Sponsored”.

Two parts of the announcement apply only in the U.S. for now. Ads on follow-up questions inside AI Mode, which Google calls multiturn ads, are launching in the U.S. Both numbers Google shared come from U.S. data too. AI Mode questions are on average three times longer than traditional searches (Google’s AI Mode Report, May 2026), and click-through rates are already similar for sponsored and organic product listings inside AI Mode (Google internal data, August 20 to September 3, 2026).

How AI Overviews and AI Mode differ

AI Overviews are the short AI summaries at the top of a normal Google results page. AI Mode is a separate, conversational way to search, where people ask longer questions and keep following up. Google’s help page for advertisers describes the first as quick snapshots on the results page and the second as multi-turn conversations and comparisons.

Canada already had ads inside AI Overviews before this change. Google’s help page listed Canada for ads in AI Overviews, in English on both mobile and desktop, in September 2026 (archived copy). The October 28 change is that the same ads can now also appear inside AI Mode. Regular ads keep showing above and below AI Overviews as before.

Which campaigns are eligible

Search and Shopping campaigns qualify automatically, and so does Performance Max. You don’t create a new campaign or set aside a separate budget. The ads can be text ads or Shopping ads, and Google says it is testing other formats, such as local inventory ads and vehicle ads.

Ads inside AI Overviews and AI Mode run in English only, so in Canada French searches are left out for now. Your French campaigns still show in the normal results, including above and below AI Overviews.

How Google picks the ads

Google matches ads in two ways. When the question already says what the person wants to buy, it matches the ad to the query, the same as a normal search. When the question is exploratory, it can match to both the question and the AI answer. Google’s own example: someone asks why their pool is green, the answer mentions testing the water and vacuuming, and ads for pool vacuums and algae kits can appear.

Your match types decide which of the two your ads can take part in. Exact and phrase match keywords only qualify when the query shows a direct intent to buy. Broad match, AI Max for Search, Shopping campaigns and Performance Max can also match to the exploratory questions, according to Google’s help page.

What you can’t control

There is no separate opt-out for AI Overviews or AI Mode, since Google treats both as part of Search.
You can’t target them on their own either. Negative keywords and brand exclusions still apply, and so does asset pinning.
Google can show a short AI explainer next to your ad, written by its Gemini models from the person’s question and the AI answer, along with public sources that include your website. You can’t write, edit, approve or turn off that text.
Results aren’t reported on their own. Google counts them in your normal campaign reports and includes them in aggregate in your search terms report, so you can’t pick them out.
Placement is Google’s call too. On one search your ad can appear above an AI Overview and inside it. Google won’t put it inside an AI Overview and directly below it on the same search.

Billing doesn’t change. Google says these ads use the same auction and the same cost-per-click or conversion bidding as other Search ads, with no extra charge to take part.

5 changes to make in your account this month

Check your match types. A campaign that runs only exact and phrase match will only show on direct buying searches. Test broad match or AI Max on one campaign first, before you change the rest.
Give Smart Bidding conversion data you trust. Google recommends conversion- or value-based Smart Bidding for these placements, and it is only as good as your tracking. Check that your Google tag or offline conversion imports count real leads and sales.
Tighten negative keywords and brand exclusions. Longer, conversational questions bring in search terms you have never seen. Read your search terms report every week for the first month and add negatives as they show up.
Fix the pages your ads land on. With text customization and final URL expansion turned on, Google writes from your pages, and it reads your website for the AI explainers. A page that plainly says what you sell and where you sell it gives Google better material to work with. The October 21 post on AI Max and AI Overviews goes through what to fix first.
Keep your Merchant Center feed complete. If you run Shopping or Performance Max, Google wants product data that matches your landing pages, with descriptive titles and accurate prices.

What this means for your organic visibility

Paying for ads doesn’t change what AI Overviews or AI Mode say about your business, and being cited in an organic AI answer has no effect on your ad eligibility. Google states both in its FAQ for advertisers. An ad buys a Sponsored spot next to the answer. Being named inside the answer is earned on your own pages, which is what AI visibility work does.

Common Questions About Ads in AI Mode

Can I turn off my ads in AI Mode?

No. Google treats AI Overviews and AI Mode as part of Search, so you can’t opt out of them or target them separately. Negative keywords and brand exclusions still control when your ads show, and asset pinning still applies to your headlines and descriptions.

Do ads in AI Mode cost more?

No. They run in the same auction with the same cost-per-click or conversion bidding as other Search ads, and Google doesn’t charge extra for them. You don’t set a separate budget either, since the ads come from campaigns you already run.

Will my French ads show inside AI Mode?

Not for now. Google lists English as the only language for ads inside AI Overviews and AI Mode. French ads keep showing in the regular results, including above and below AI Overviews, which Google allows in every language where AI Overviews appear.

Can I see AI Mode results separately in Google Ads?

No. Google counts them in your normal campaign reports and includes them in aggregate in your search terms report, with no separate segment for AI Overviews or AI Mode. Reading that report every week still shows the new questions your ads start to match.

Do my ads change what AI Mode says about my business?

No. Google says paid ads don’t influence its organic AI answers, and being cited organically doesn’t affect your ad eligibility. Being named inside an AI answer depends on what your website and other public sources say about you, which is the part AI visibility work improves.

Talk to a digital marketing specialist

If your Google Ads account was set up before AI Mode, a digital marketing specialist can go over the 5 changes above with you on a call. Book a call, or see how BlueHat Marketing handles Google Ads management. If you also want to know how AI answers describe your business today, ask for a free AI visibility audit; the specialist goes over it with you on the same call.

Google AI Mode Ads Come to Canada: What Changes for Your Google Ads