Google looks to apply more AI tools for advertisers

Less than two weeks after Meta revealed new AI-enabled text and image editing tools to be rolled into its advertising toolkit, Google has staged it's own AI tools preview for marketers. 

At its Google Marketing Live event, the company outlined how new advances in AI will become "front and center" for marketers in the near future. The announcements were summarised in a blog post by Google's VP and GM of Ads, Jerry Dischler.

New AI-enabled search ads

Having already announced that generative AI is coming to Google search, the company indicated how search advertising will also evolve with this new Search Generative Experience (SGE). Dischler says Google is experimenting with search and shopping ads using AI-powered snapshot and conversational modes and will try out new formats native to SGE.

"For example, if someone is searching for 'outdoor activities to do in Maui,' and narrows the search further to ask about 'activities for kids' and 'surfing,' they may see a fully customized ad for a travel brand promoting surfing lessons for kids," Dischler says. 

AI-assisted search campaign creation

Google is introducing a new, natural-language feature in Google Ads allowing marketers to add a preferred landing page from their website, then let Google AI summarize the page, generate relevant and effective keywords, headlines, descriptions, images and other assets for campaigns.

Automatically created assets (ACA) for search ads, which already rolled out using content from landing pages and existing ads, will be enhanced with generative AI to more effectively create and adapt search ads, depending on the context of a query.

"For example, with a search for 'skin care for dry sensitive skin,' AI can use content from your landing page and existing ads to create a new headline that aligns even more closely with the query, such as 'Soothe Your Dry, Sensitive Skin.' This helps you improve ad relevance while staying true to your brand," Dischler says. 

Enhancing Performance Max

Finally, Google will be adding generative AI to Performance Max, it's goal-based campaign offering, to make it easier to create custom assets and scale. From just a website, Google AI will populate campaigns with text and other assets, suggesting new generated images. This same capability will also be available in Google Ads.