Google’s Demand Gen adds conversational 'Business Agent' to YouTube ads; launches one‑click image landing pages and Maps location extensions
Google’s Demand Gen updates introduce a conversational AI feature called Business Agent for YouTube Ads that lets viewers ask questions about products or brands alongside video ads using product feeds. The update also adds one‑click landing‑page visits from full‑bleed 9:16 image ads on YouTube Shorts and simplified Gmail image ad experiences (Google cites a 40% lift in conversions for Gmail image creatives at the same ROI), plus Affiliate Location Extensions (Promoted pins) in Google Maps to capture local demand; details are in the Demand Gen Drops Hub and Google internal data (Global, Gmail Ads, Feb 2026).