Google has introduced new AI advertising tools designed to help Nigerian businesses track online advertising performance, understand customer behaviour and manage digital campaigns more effectively.
Key Highlights
- Google is rolling out new AI-powered advertising tools for businesses.
- A new Google Ads report will bring key campaign journey data into one view.
- AI Brief lets advertisers guide campaigns in plain language and is expanding to seven more languages in closed beta.
- Google says ads can appear above and below AI Overviews in more than 200 countries, including Nigeria.
- Figures cited for AI Max adoption and conversion gains are global and are not specific to Nigeria.
Google Introduces New AI Advertising Tools
Google’s Director for East and West Africa, Olumide Balogun, announced the features on Friday in Lagos.
The tools are being introduced under Google’s AI Max for Search platform and include an enhanced Google Ads reporting feature and an expanded AI Brief, a Gemini-powered feature that allows advertisers to provide campaign instructions using plain language.
Balogun said the new reporting feature would consolidate information advertisers previously had to access from different sections of their Google Ads accounts. It is intended to show what customers searched for, the advertisement they saw and the webpage they visited after clicking an advert in a single view.
“We are excited to give Nigerian businesses a clearer view of what their advertising delivers,” Balogun said, noting that every naira matters, particularly ahead of major shopping periods.
The reporting feature was unveiled at DMEXCO 2026 in Cologne, Germany, and is expected to roll out globally, including Nigeria, later this year. Google’s announcement says it will share further availability details later this year.
AI Brief Gives Advertisers More Campaign Control
Balogun said the expanded AI Brief would allow advertisers to use everyday language to guide what their advertisements should or should not communicate.
For example, businesses could instruct the system not to display prices, prioritise specific search terms or promote selected offers to particular categories of customers. Advertisers would also be able to preview sample advertisements and search results before campaigns go live and adjust their instructions.
Google said AI Brief’s closed beta is expanding to seven additional languages: Japanese, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, French and Italian.
Google Expands Ads Around AI Overviews
Google also announced that advertisements can now appear above and below AI Overviews in more than 200 countries, including Nigeria.
The development comes as consumers increasingly use AI-powered search features and more detailed queries to find products and services online.
Balogun urged Nigerian businesses preparing for Black Friday and the festive shopping season to begin planning their advertising campaigns early.
“With Black Friday on Nov. 27 and the festive season close behind, now is the time for businesses to set up their peak-season campaigns,” he said.
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Google Reports Changing Search Behaviour
Google’s Vice-President of Global Ads, Dan Taylor, said changing search behaviour was reshaping how businesses reach potential customers online.
Taylor said consumers were increasingly using longer and more detailed queries, voice commands and images when searching for products and services. According to him, searches conducted through Google’s AI Mode are three times longer than traditional searches, while one in six searches is conducted through voice or images.
Taylor also said AI Max, introduced by Google in 2025, had been adopted by about 500,000 advertisers globally. He said advertisers using the platform recorded 27 per cent more conversions, including sales and enquiries, at a similar cost. The figures were based on global data presented at DMEXCO 2026 and were not specific to the Nigerian market.
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