The traditional list of ten blue links on Google has been evolving for a while, but the way we interact with ads is undergoing its most radical transformation yet. Ever since the initial rollout ramped up significantly late last year, sponsored content has been quietly embedding itself deeper into Google’s AI Mode.
While heavy-hitting, Gemini-powered concepts like Conversational Discovery Ads and Highlighted Answers made headlines at recent industry events, multiple distinct ad layouts have already found their way into live user environments. Instead of sitting on the periphery of your search, these new formats merge directly with generative text and product lists. The SerpLens team shared a detailed breakdown of the five formats currently shaking up the AI-driven search space.
1. Bottom Text-Based Ads (Stacked)
This is the most common format across different searches. These ads are placed at the very end of an AI generated response, and have very descriptive titles tailored to your specific prompt. Google combines them in a shaded box that recalls the clean look of organic citations. This layout is mainly for non-product URLs, facilitating typical websites and services to easily fit into a conversational flow.
2. Bottom Shopping Carousel Ads
This layout is designed for e-commerce. It provides product options as interactive visual cards or a scrolling row. To make the placement feel less intrusive, Google pairs the carousel with a contextual headline linking the items directly to your query. The cards include vibrant rich data—such as product images, pricing, site names, and review snippets—making this a highly dynamic layout.
3. In-Line Shopping Singular Ads
This format blends into the conversational output. Instead of waiting at the bottom, these singular ads appear in the middle of organic product listings. While they carry a clear “Sponsored” label, their formatting matches the surrounding organic content. When clicked, they use a standard redirect to send the user straight to the storefront, bypassing the typical overlay panel used for free listings.
4. In-Line Shopping Ads (Non-Rich)
When Google wants to keep things understated, it deploys a slim, non-rich singular ad toward the top of the generated response. By stripped-down, we mean it displays only the bare essentials: a favicon, site name, price, and basic shipping policies. Occasionally, Google groups two of these text-heavy shopping links together within a subtle shaded box to keep the layout from overpowering the actual answer.
5. Sponsored Product Grid Ads
Product grids have traditionally been an organic refuge, but that boundary has officially blurred. Now, up to four sponsored results can display directly above the free “all stores” listings within a grid. If a retailer ranks organically for a product and simultaneously runs a shopping campaign, Google will often serve their ad as a “sponsored store” right at the top, complete with eye-catching labels like “trending brand.”
The backend reality
For businesses wondering how to target these high-intent conversational placements, the short answer is: you can’t—at least not manually. Google handles these injections automatically through its algorithmic models, pulling data directly from existing asset pools and Merchant Center feeds.
Furthermore, there is currently no segmented reporting available to show exactly how many clicks come from AI Mode versus standard search results. Advertisers looking to optimize for these conversational journeys have to rely on broader ecosystem tools like Performance Max and the newer AI Max frameworks.
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