Google AI Streamlines Search Ads for African Businesses

Businesses across Africa can now use Google’s Gemini AI-powered chat-like tool for Search Ads. The tool is now fully operational and designed to help businesses in Africa and across the world boost their online visibility.

According to a statement by Google, the tool will empower businesses to reach customers through online advertising in a simplified way.

“Creating effective ads can be time-consuming, especially for small businesses,” explains Shashi Thakur, VP & GM of Search Ads & Ads on Google Experiences. “Our new conversational experience helps businesses of all sizes tap into the power of Google AI to create successful Search campaigns with remarkable ease.”

The conversational experience begins with users providing a website address for automatic content analysis by Google AI. It then generates tailored suggestions including keywords, ad headlines, and descriptions. Google AI then pulls visuals from a website or creates new ones. Advertisers maintain control of the process by reviewing and approving all AI-generated elements to ensure brand alignment.

Google says the introduction of the conversational experience has led to tangible benefits for businesses utilising the platform, with businesses using the conversational experience in Google Ads are 42 per cent more likely to publish Search campaigns with ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’ Ad Strength.  This strong ad quality has been shown to directly increase conversions.

Google terms the development as part of its broader initiative to empower small businesses in Africa and globally, by facilitating the creation of impactful Search ads. By automatically generating headlines and descriptions based on existing website content, Google’s AI enables ads to  respond to relevant searches. The adaptive approach ensures that small businesses can capture the attention of potential customers, enhancing their visibility in search results.

The conversational AI experience for Google Search Ads is now available globally for English-speaking advertisers, with plans to extend support to additional languages in the near future.