The new tool combines AI search with YouTube shopping.
Google announced new AI-powered search and YouTube advertising tools at Google Marketing Live Southeast Asia to help brands reach shoppers and drive online sales across the region.
According to Google, 82% of users in Southeast Asia who use AI Overview or AI Mode say they make decisions faster, and 80% say they make decisions with more confidence.
86% of Gen Z users said AI features help reduce decision fatigue.
Google said the new tool combines search’s purchase intent signals with YouTube’s creator ecosystem to help brands move consumers from product discovery to checkout.
Sapna Chadha, vice president of Southeast Asia and South Asia Frontier at Google, said that while AI is changing the way consumers search and shop in the region, YouTube creators are playing a larger role in influencing purchasing decisions.
“We’re doubling down on this shift in search, accelerating the power of YouTube creators to partner with businesses and build better shopping experiences,” he said.
Google also highlighted the growth of video commerce in Southeast Asia, saying the sector will expand five times between 2022 and 2025 and now accounts for 25% of the region’s total e-commerce value (GMV).
The company said more than 6 million YouTube videos in Southeast Asia now include shoppable product tags through the YouTube Shopping affiliate program, which was launched two years ago.
More than half of eligible creators participated in the program, and payments to creators increased by more than 105% year over year.
To support advertisers, Google has introduced three new solutions.
Commerce Media Suite is designed to streamline the shopping process by directing users from YouTube ads to your marketplace checkout page. The platform uses real-time shopping signals such as search activity and cart additions to enable marketplaces and brands to serve more relevant ads to potential buyers.
Google said it is currently piloting a solution with Shopee. During early testing, Maybelline recorded 7.4% revenue growth and a high return on ad spend.
Google also announced Creator Partnership Boost (previously known as Partnership Ads). This allows brands to amplify a creator’s YouTube content as paid advertising while maintaining the creator’s identity.
This feature is designed to extend the reach of creator content beyond organic audiences and increase engagement.
Rounding out the lineup is Affiliate Partnerships Boost, a pilot program that allows marketplaces and retailers to promote high-performing affiliate videos as paid ads.
This initiative aims to expand product awareness as well as create additional commission opportunities for creators if advertising leads to sales.
The company said there is no fixed fee structure across these services. Instead, sellers such as brands and retailers that participate in YouTube Shopping set their own commission rates, which vary depending on brand and product category.
“Commission rates vary by brand and product category.” Google said this in response to an inquiry:. “Brands set their own fees to earn creator tags, so there is no single flat fee across the platform.”
Creators can also see the fees for each eligible product before choosing to tag, providing transparency into their potential earnings.
Google said Affiliate Partnerships Boost is currently being tested with select partners but had no details to share at this stage, adding that it did not disclose pricing.
Southeast Asia was one of the first regions in the world to partner with Shopee to pilot the new affiliate advertising solution.
