Today’s MarketingGoogle tests Shopping ads inside organic product carousels in AI Mode
Google is testing a format in AI Mode that mixes sponsored products with organic product results, under headers reading Sponsored and All products. A Google spokesperson confirmed it is part of ongoing experiments with ads in AI Mode. Google said Shopping Ads can appear alongside organic visual search results within carousels for commercially relevant queries, and that all sponsored listings are labeled.
Our take
When paid and organic products sit in the same carousel, the product image and price do the heavy lifting, not your position. Treat your Merchant Center feed as ad creative: sharp main images, clean titles and competitive prices. Brands that rely only on free listings should expect to share that carousel with paying rivals and plan a small Shopping budget to defend it.
