WaperGoogle is expanding AI Mode advertising internationally and opening Search and Gemini to developer-built apps, even as weaker AI Mode monetization weighs on Search revenue growth.
Marketing & growth8 items
Restaurant ordering controls and a retailer’s substantial GA4 tracking gap also deserve marketers’ attention.
Google expands AI Mode ads to 10 more countries
Google is expanding AI Mode ads to 10 countries, including Canada, India and Australia. It also announced expansion to Brazil, Mexico and the United Kingdom in Q4.
Why it matters: Advertisers in additional markets gain access to sponsored placements within AI search experiences.
Google opens Connected Apps Platform preview for Search and Gemini
Google launched a preview of its Connected Apps Platform, allowing developers to bring app capabilities directly into Search and Gemini.
Why it matters: App businesses gain a new potential discovery and interaction channel beyond visits to their own properties.
Google Search ad revenue rises 10.5% as AI Mode weighs on growth
Google reported Q3 2026 Search ad revenue of $82 billion, up 10.5%. Search revenue growth slowed for a second consecutive quarter, with lower AI Mode monetization cited as one reason.
Why it matters: The results highlight the monetization challenge accompanying Google’s shift toward AI search experiences.
Google lets restaurants disable individual third-party ordering providers
Restaurants can now turn off specific third-party ordering providers directly in the Google Business Profile dashboard, rather than waiting for providers to remove themselves.
Why it matters: Restaurant marketers gain direct control over which ordering partners appear on their profiles.
GA4 missed 66% of one retailer’s holiday orders
An audit covering eight ecommerce brands found that GA4 missed two-thirds of one retailer’s holiday orders. The reported shortfall concerns that retailer, not the entire sample.
Why it matters: Incomplete conversion tracking can distort campaign evaluation and budget decisions ahead of peak trading periods.
P.F. Chang’s climbs competitive sales-growth rankings during turnaround
A year into its turnaround, P.F. Chang’s has moved from 22nd to third in same-store sales growth among its competitive set.
Why it matters: The improvement makes the chain’s turnaround worth watching, although the item does not establish which marketing actions drove it.
Reddit introduces personalized For You feed
Reddit introduced an algorithm-defined For You feed featuring tailored recommendations and updates to improve in-app discovery.
Why it matters: Personalized recommendations create another route through which users may encounter communities and content.
TikTok adds US restaurant discovery guide Must Eat
TikTok added Must Eat, an in-app restaurant guide designed to showcase community-sourced dining spots in the United States.
Why it matters: Restaurants have another platform-native discovery surface to consider alongside search listings and social content.