FOLLOWING its initial announcement in January, businesses across Africa can now use Google’s Gemini AI-powered chat-like tool for Search Ads.

   This intuitive tool is now fully operational and designed to help businesses in Africa and across the world boost their online visibility.

    Google, which disclosed this yesterday, said in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, where Internet penetration is rapidly increasing, the ability to effectively reach customers through online advertising is becoming increasingly crucial for business growth.

    Google said its conversational experience takes the complexity out of ad creation, empowering businesses of any size to easily craft campaigns that resonate with local audiences.

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

    On how the conversational experience, Google said: “Easy to Get Started: Simply provide a website address, and Google AI will automatically analyse the content.

   “Tailored Suggestions: The AI generates relevant keywords, ad headlines, and descriptions, inspired by a business and its target region.

   “Visual Inspiration: Need ad images? Google AI pulls visuals from a website or creates new ones.

   “You’re Still in Control: Advertisers review and approve all AI-generated elements, ensuring ads reflect their brand.”

   Google said the introduction of this 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.

    The American firm said this development is part of Google’s broader initiative to empower small businesses in Africa and globally, by facilitating the creation of impactful Search ads.

   It said by automatically generating headlines and descriptions based on existing website content, Google’s AI enables ads to dynamically respond to relevant searches. This adaptive approach ensures that small businesses can effectively capture the attention of potential customers, enhancing their visibility in search results.