Short answer: Not yet. On October 28 Google expanded AI Mode ads to 10 countries, but Taiwan is not on the list, and its chief business officer admitted AI Mode monetizes less than traditional Search. The best move for Taiwanese SMBs now is to spend 2–4 weeks completing product data, the Business Profile and site FAQs, so they benefit as soon as ads open.
On October 28, Alphabet reported Q3 2026 results: revenue of $127.6B, up 25%, with Cloud up 103%. Wall Street watched Search instead. Search Engine Roundtable's earnings recap put Search revenue at about $63.35B, below the $64.96B analyst estimate. On the call, chief business officer Philipp Schindler said AI Mode queries were growing strongly but contributed less to revenue because of "lower monetization." The stock fell the next day, erasing more than $500B in market value at one point. The same day, Google announced AI Mode ads were expanding to 10 countries.
Why now? Over the past 18 months Google has pushed Search from ten blue links toward conversational answers. AI Overviews came first, then AI Mode expanded globally in October 2025, and in July Google said it had passed one billion monthly users. People ask longer questions and follow up more; the internal report cited on Google's official blog says AI Mode queries are about 3x longer than traditional searches. The problem is that a long conversation has fewer ad slots than ten links, so revenue per query drops. Search ads are still about half of Google's revenue; Search grew 17% in Q2 but slowed in Q3, so Google has to move ads into AI Mode faster.
Other platforms are on the same path. OpenAI is testing ads in ChatGPT and has entered India; Microsoft Copilot put sponsored content in answers early; Perplexity tried sponsored follow-up questions at limited scale. The category is shifting from winning users to figuring out how to charge, and Google has publicly admitted for the first time that an AI interface earns less per query than classic Search.
For Taiwanese SMBs, this means the ad rules of AI search are still moving, and spending heavily on new placements is not necessarily smart. But making your products and services readable by AI pays off with or without ads. Below: what happened, what three types of readers should do, and how to prepare without a subscription.
The details: 10 countries, multiturn ads in the US, Taiwan not included yet
The key change is wider reach, not a new ad format. According to Google's October 28 post and 9to5Google's report:
- Now scaling: Australia, Canada, India, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Singapore.
- Planned for Q4: Brazil, Mexico and the United Kingdom.
- United States: "multiturn ads," so ads can appear in follow-up questions, labeled "Sponsored."
- Performance claim: Google's internal data shows click-through rates for sponsored and organic product listings in AI Mode are already similar.
Who benefits? E-commerce and retail brands with complete product data, because AI Mode ads appear heavily as product listings. Who loses? Advertisers relying only on keyword bids with thin product data, who will rarely be chosen in conversational results.
What three types of readers should do: data first, budget later
The shared conclusion is to organize data and tracking now and adjust ad budgets when Taiwan opens.
- Brand owners and SMB owners: check Business Profile hours, services and photos, and reply to your latest 20 reviews. If you sell online, complete Merchant Center titles, specs, sizes and shipping.
- Marketing and SEO practitioners: collect the comparison questions customers ask on LINE and phone, such as "what is the difference between plan A and B," and turn them into FAQs and tables; watch AI-related impressions in Search Console.
- Developers and agencies: add Product, FAQPage and LocalBusiness structured data, and make sure price and stock are readable without JavaScript.
Tool comparison: free tools cover most of the preparation
At this stage you do not need an expensive AI visibility platform; Google's free tools are enough.
| Tool | Use | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Merchant Center | Product data, Shopping and AI Mode listings | Free | Any brand with an online store |
| Google Search Console | Search and AI feature impressions, indexing | Free | Every website |
| Google Business Profile | Local info, reviews, hours | Free | Stores and on-site service businesses |
| Semrush / Ahrefs | Keyword and competitor research | From about $130–200/month | Companies with dedicated marketers |
| AI visibility platforms such as Profound | Track brand mentions in AI answers | Mostly enterprise plans | Mid-size and large brands with budget |
What they will not tell you: similar CTR does not mean good value
Google's post only shares good news; judge these points yourself.
- "Similar CTR" is internal, US-only, two-week data: the window is August 20 to September 3 and covers product listings only. It says nothing about services or B2B, or about conversion rates.
- Lower monetization means Google will try to make it up: when each query earns less, the usual fix is more ads or more bidding pressure. Multiturn ads add another ad in follow-ups, so advertiser costs may rise first.
The no-subscription alternative: a 4-week data checklist
Most of the preparation can be done in-house.
- Week 1: complete brand, specs, GTIN or model number and shipping for your top 50 products in Merchant Center.
- Week 2: add services, price ranges and 10 new photos to the Business Profile, and reply to every unanswered review.
- Week 3: add 8–12 comparison FAQs to the site, each leading with the answer, plus FAQPage structured data.
- Week 4: set inquiries, add-to-cart and purchases as GA4 key events and build a monthly report.
FAQ
Can businesses in Taiwan see AI Mode ads now?
Not yet. Neither the 10 countries announced on Oct 28 nor the 3 planned for Q4 include Taiwan, though timing can change.
Do AI Mode ads need a separate campaign?
Google has not required a dedicated campaign. In practice they extend from existing Search, Shopping and AI Max setups; check the Google Ads help page.
What should SMBs do now?
Complete Merchant Center product data, the Google Business Profile and site FAQs. These affect both organic results and ads.
Will AI Mode reduce organic traffic?
It changes the mix. Queries get longer and more comparative, fewer people click through but with stronger intent, so judge by conversions.
My take: when AI Mode ads reach Taiwan, fight for data, not slots
The mainstream view says new placements are cheapest at launch, so get in early. I think the opposite: in the first 6–12 months after AI Mode ads open in Taiwan, SMBs should not raise budgets. Google admits monetization is lower and is adding ad volume, while targeting tools and reports are immature, so early entrants are often testing for the platform. What will separate winners is whether AI correctly understands your specs, prices and service scope; advertisers with thin data will not be chosen in conversations no matter how much they bid.
The lesson for ScriptWalker (a Taiwan-based Laravel/Flutter custom development studio) is to offer a "product data and structured data health check" as a standing service: cleaning Merchant Center fields, adding Product and FAQPage structured data, and fixing prices that only appear after JavaScript runs, for about NT$30K–80K one-off plus monthly maintenance.
Sources
- Google Blog: Ads in AI Mode expanding globally (2026-10-28, primary)
- Google Ads Help: Ads in AI Mode (primary)
- Alphabet Investor Relations: Q3 2026 results (primary)
- 9to5Google: Google stock drops amid AI fears; AI Mode has lower monetization (third party)
- Search Engine Roundtable: Google Says Ads In AI Mode Earning Less (third party)
- Search Engine Roundtable: Google Q3 2026 earnings recap (third party)
To run an AI search data health check on your site and product pages, contact us:
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 0916-224-047
- LINE: @ufv9089p