Google Ads just turned 25, and it’s entering a new era—one driven by AI, conversations, and context. In this episode, Dan Taylor, VP of Global Ads at Google, joins Mike Shields to unpack how the search giant is transforming its ads business for the age of AI Overviews, Performance Max, and long-form conversational queries. He explains why this shift feels bigger than mobile, how advertisers are adopting AI faster than ever, and why trust and accuracy remain Google’s north stars.

Dan also reveals how AI is expanding the search funnel, creating new commercial moments that brands never could have targeted before. From tools like AI Max to agent-powered shopping, the future of advertising is about reducing friction, improving relevance, and meeting consumers wherever their curiosity starts. It’s a rare inside look at how Google plans to keep Search indispensable for the next 25 years.

Key Highlights

🔍 Google Ads at 25: Why AI is the next great shift in how people find and act on information.

🤖 AI Overviews & Ads: What Google has learned about where ads fit into AI-powered experiences.

📊 Performance Max & AI Max: How AI expands discovery beyond keyword targeting.

🧠 Smart Bidding & Measurement: Google’s decade-long head start in predictive AI.

🛍️ Retail Media Meets Agents: New tools like Agentic Checkout and visual search that cut friction in shopping.

💬 Trust, Quality & Competition: Why Google believes this isn’t a zero-sum game—it’s an expanding marketplace.

Resources & Next Steps

🌐 Explore Google Ads AI Tools
🔗Follow Dan Taylor on Linkedin
🎧Subscribe to Next in Media on Apple Podcasts

YouTube Chapters

00:00 Cold open — AI shift and trust in information  

00:55 Setting the stage — Google Search at 25  

01:24 Mike introduces guest Dan Taylor (VP, Global Ads at Google)  

01:49 Dan’s early career and move from broadcast to digital  

03:11 Early experiments — Google TV and Audio Ads  

03:49 Conversational search and AI-driven behavior change  

06:32 Comparing AI to the mobile shift  

08:18 How advertisers are adopting AI tools faster  

09:27 Did Google move too slow? Inside its AI journey  

12:16 Ads in AI Overviews — finding the right moment  

13:40 Marathon example — how intent shapes relevance  

15:48 AI expands search — new commercial moments emerge  

16:32 Dorm room case study — Gemini and query fan-out  

19:03 Performance Max and AI Max monetization insights  

21:06 Generative creative tools and advertiser experiments  

22:58 Retail and agentic experiences in shopping  

24:59 Reducing friction — price tracking and visual search  

26:08 Competition across AI, retail, and social platforms  

27:10 Wrap-up — the future of AI-powered search