With the release of Google AI Overviews, we were left wondering what will become of Google Ads. If AI Overviews sit at the top of search results, will traditional paid listings still matter?
Well, Google has responded by unveiling a new offering: Google Ads AI Max, a feature suite designed to future-proof your Search campaigns and unlock new performance opportunities through the power of AI.
What is Google Ads AI Max?
Google Ads AI Max is a new one-click upgrade for Search campaigns, bundling together several AI-powered features designed to enhance targeting, expand reach and dynamically adapt creative. It’s built to align with the way Google Search is evolving – becoming more exploratory, multimodal and intent-driven.
Rather than simply matching queries to keywords, Google is moving toward predicting user needs – even for nuanced or unspoken intents. This shift creates opportunities to show ads in moments and contexts that didn’t exist before, capturing a broader range of high-value searches.
Rolling out globally in beta later this month, AI Max is Google’s answer to the new era of search, and it’s already delivering some pretty impressive results. We’ll cover that in more detail below.
The 3 Core Features of AI Max for Search Campaigns
AI Max includes a bundle of enhancements that combine expanded targeting, creative adaptation and improved transparency:
1. Expanded Query Matching
Google AI leverages broad match and keywordless technology (yes, this sounds like a keyless-entry car) to identify and serve ads on relevant, high-performing queries – even ones your campaign wouldn’t have reached using traditional keyword strategies. It analyses your current keywords, creative and landing pages to surface new opportunities.
2. Real-Time Creative Adaptation
Formerly known as “Automatically Created Assets,” the new text customisation feature generates headlines and descriptions tailored to each individual query. This ensures that your ad messaging remains highly relevant as user intent shifts.
When paired with final URL expansion, users are also directed to the most appropriate landing page – improving both experience and conversion rates.
3. Granular Controls and Transparency
AI Max introduces more refined control features and improved reporting:
- Ad group-level location targeting based on users’ geographic intent.
- Brand controls to include or exclude specific brands.
- Enhanced reporting on search terms, asset performance and conversion metrics.
Early Results and Case Studies
According to Google, advertisers using AI Max are already seeing significant performance gains:
- +14% more conversions (or conversion value) at a similar CPA or ROAS.
- +27% more conversions for campaigns still relying on exact or phrase match.
Australian business, MyConnect, who has served as a guinea pig for this new offering, increased leads by 16% while reducing CPA by 13%.
Why AI Max Matters for Marketers
Search is evolving, and so should your ad strategy. AI Max helps advertisers:
- Reach untapped, high-intent queries beyond traditional keyword targeting.
- Dynamically adjust creative to match real-time intent.
- Maintain control and visibility, even while embracing automation.
Let’s look at an example. Say you run a fashion brand and want to promote a new summer collection. If someone searches for “colourful midi dresses for spring and summer,” an exact match keyword like “red midi dress” wouldn’t trigger your ad. Even broad matches may not deliver the relevance needed. With AI Max, your ad content and landing page can dynamically adapt to match the full context of that query, capturing demand you otherwise would have missed. Now that’s a gamechanger!
AI Max is the Future of Search Advertising
Google Ads AI Max marks a major step toward the future of Search advertising – one that’s less about rigid keywords and more about understanding intent, adapting in real-time and delivering ads that feel helpful, not intrusive.
For marketers, this means leaning into automation not just to save time, but to unlock new growth with smarter matching, better creative and broader reach.
To quote Kayo, “get on board”.
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