Hi there! Today, I’m thrilled to share some intriguing news about Google and its latest venture into AI-powered search advertising. Google has kickstarted testing for healthcare ads in AI Mode. This exciting development gives us a glimpse into the future of advertising within AI-based search environments.
The scope of this test is currently narrowed to healthcare advertisers in the United States and focuses only on English-language queries in AI Mode, as confirmed by Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin.
Amidst swirling industry rumors, it has now been officially confirmed that healthcare ads have indeed begun appearing in AI-generated search results.
What Google is saying. Addressing inquiries on LinkedIn, Marvin highlighted that Google has “begun a small test of ads in AI Mode specifically for the healthcare sector.” It’s an intriguing move, isn’t it?

She mentioned that a variety of campaign types can participate, including:
- Performance Max (PMax)
- AI Max with search term matching
- Shopping campaigns
- Broad match campaigns
These campaign types can also show ads within AI Overviews.

Why we care. As healthcare stands as one of Google’s stringently regulated advertising sectors, this test is crucial for understanding how Google might monetize AI-driven search results. If the test expands, healthcare marketers could gain a new platform for visibility, and advertisers in similarly regulated industries might get a sneak peek of future ad appearances in Google’s AI-generated search.
The fine print. This initial testing phase comes with some creative boundaries. Marvin noted that ads devoid of pinned assets or text disclaimers are presently the only eligible healthcare advertisements.
What to watch. It’s just the beginning, and we’re curious to see if Google will broaden the eligibility for more healthcare ads, introduce other ad formats, or extend into other regulated fields.
Such developments could provide early clues about Google’s strategy to harmonize monetization and user trust as AI Mode starts to play a more significant role in the search experience.
First spotted. Interestingly, it was Senior Strategist Ben Goldman who first noticed this test, which he shared in response to her GML 2026 summaries on LinkedIn.
Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.


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