Google AI Mode shows text ads on 29.45% of commercial queries, study finds
5le · x · 2026-07-21
A new dataset from SE Ranking suggests Google’s AI Mode is already surfacing ads in a meaningful share of commercial searches.
- 29.45% of 50,032 commercial keywords triggered a text ad in AI Mode
- 70.55% returned no text ads
- Higher-CPC keywords were more likely to show ads
- Certain categories, including travel and insurance, were above the average
- Only 11.5% of advertisers had organic visibility in the AI Mode output for the queried terms
The data points to an early but aggressive monetization pattern: AI Mode is not ad-free, and ad exposure appears to be strongest where commercial intent is highest.
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