• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, May 10, 2023

As Google brings generative artificial intelligence (AI) into Search through something it calls Search Generative Experience (SGE), an experiment in Search Labs, advertising will remain an important part of the experience, the company said Wednesday.

“As the Search ecosystem continues to evolve with an increased focus on AI, Search ads will continue to play a critical role as additional sources of useful information while helping millions of businesses be discovered online,” Vidhya Srinivasan, vice president and general manager in Google Ads, wrote in a post.

Srinivasan explained that SGE will roll out in the coming weeks in the U.S.  Search ads will continue to appear in dedicated ad slots throughout the page. In the new experience, advertisers will have the opportunity to reach potential customers along their search journeys.

Google also remains committed to transparency and making ads distinguishable from organic search results. When Search ads do appear, they will continue to feature our industry-leading clear and transparent ad labels with the “Sponsored” label in bold black text.

Few details about advertising were released. The company likely decided to save the details for Google Marketing Live scheduled for later this month.

“Experiments are essential in allowing us to evolve Search to be helpful and effective for both users and advertisers,’ Srinivasan wrote. “We’ll be experimenting with how, when and in what formats ads show up and we’ll use advertiser feedback to shape and evolve the experience, while always being responsible, thoughtful and helpful in our approach.”