Google Ads Begins Rolling Out AI Max for Search
- May 30, 2025
- 0
What is AI Max in Google Ads, and how can advertisers use it to enhance Search campaign performance without losing control?
Google has officially started the global rollout of AI Max for Search, a next-generation campaign type designed to enhance traditional Search campaigns with artificial intelligence. Announced at Google Marketing Live 2025, this new offering combines the scale and automation of AI with the precision advertisers expect from standard Search. AI Max promises more intelligent keyword targeting, dynamic ad creation, better landing page relevance, and deeper performance insights, all with enhanced control options that marketers have long requested.
What Is AI Max for Search?
AI Max is a feature upgrade within Google Search campaigns, built to intelligently extend the reach and improve performance without requiring advertisers to rebuild or relabel their campaigns. It’s not a new campaign type like Performance Max but rather a powerful evolution of Search campaigns that integrate Google’s latest AI technologies in a modular and transparent way.
Key enhancements include:
- Keywords reach through AI-powered targeting based on user intent
- Final URL expansion to match landing pages dynamically to user queries
- Automated creative generation using advanced language models
- Enhanced ad group controls, including brand safety features and location-specific targeting
Advertisers can opt into AI Max on a campaign-by-campaign basis, retaining manual settings and oversight while benefiting from AI-driven efficiency.
Performance Impact: Early Results Are Promising
According to Google, advertisers using AI Max have seen an average 14% increase in conversions or conversion value at a similar cost per acquisition (CPA) or return on ad spend (ROAS). For campaigns that previously relied heavily on exact and phrase match keywords, conversion growth reached up to 27%. These numbers are awe-inspiring, given that they were achieved without advertisers needing to overhaul their campaign structures.
A notable example is L’Oréal, which reported a 2X higher conversion rate and 31% lower cost per conversion after enabling AI Max. These results demonstrate the potential of AI Max to uncover valuable new traffic segments that traditional human keyword strategies may have overlooked.
How AI Max Works Behind the Scenes
While AI Max builds on the foundation of Search campaigns, it incorporates several intelligent systems to optimize ad delivery at scale:
1. Search Term Matching Without Keywords
AI Max analyzes your ads, landing pages, and site structure to find semantically relevant user queries even if those keywords weren’t added to your account. This approach is similar to a broad match but with more context and a tighter focus on landing page relevance.
2. Final URL Expansion
Instead of directing all traffic to a fixed landing page, AI Max enables Google’s AI to dynamically select the most relevant page based on the user’s query and intent. This ensures a more personalized experience and can increase your Quality Score by improving post-click relevance.
3. Automatically Created Assets (ACA)
Formerly known as text asset automation, ACA in AI Max uses generative AI to build new headlines and descriptions from your site content and existing ads. You still maintain editorial control and can opt to approve or pause AI-generated creatives manually.
4. AI-Enhanced Brand Controls
You can define brand inclusions and exclusions at both the campaign and ad group levels. This helps prevent unwanted brand associations, ensuring your ads are aligned with your values and objectives.
5. Ad Group-Level Location Targeting
AI Max supports “locations of interest” targeting, allowing ad groups to serve users based on intent and geographic signals even if the user is not physically located in the area. This is especially helpful for service-based and multinational businesses.
Differences Between AI Max and Performance Max
While AI Max and Performance Max both leverage artificial intelligence, they differ significantly in scope and application:
| Feature | AI Max for Search | Performance Max |
|---|---|---|
| Channel | Google Search | Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, Discover |
| Keyword Targeting | Optional (AI can work without) | No keywords |
| Creative Assets | Text + ACA | Rich media (images, video, text) |
| URL Expansion | Optional | Required |
| Control Level | Higher (manual overrides, ad groups) | Lower (automation-focused) |
| Reporting Granularity | Standard Search reports | Consolidated performance data |
Advertisers who need granular keyword control or work in highly regulated industries may find AI Max more suitable than Performance Max.
How to Enable AI Max in Your Campaigns
AI Max is currently in open beta and is gradually rolling out across all Google Ads accounts. Here’s how you can activate it:
- Go to the Settings section of your existing Search campaign.
- Locate the AI Max toggle and switch it on.
- Configure your preferences for:
- Final URL expansion
- Asset automation
- Brand and location controls
- Monitor performance via Search campaign reports (AI Max metrics will be blended initially).
Full support for the Google Ads API is expected in version 21, scheduled for August 2025.
Challenges: What You Can’t See Yet
Currently, performance data for AI Max will appear within standard Search reports. Like AI Overviews in Google’s organic search results, you won’t be able to break out AI Max-specific performance directly. This blending makes it harder to isolate impact, although Google says more transparent reporting tools are on the way.
Advertisers should monitor performance trends at the ad group level and compare before/after benchmarks for the most accurate view of AI Max’s influence.
What This Means for Marketers
AI Max is not just another AI wrapper. It represents a significant leap forward in how search advertising is managed and optimized. The fact that it enhances Search campaigns rather than replacing them is a strong signal that Google understands advertisers’ needs for transparency, predictability, and control.
Here’s how to prepare for a successful AI Max transition:
- Audit landing pages for conversion alignment and content relevance to ensure optimal performance.
- Review brand exclusions to avoid accidental matches.
- Set conversion goals at the campaign level to guide automation.
- Monitor ACA performance and adjust creatives as needed.
AI Max won’t replace manual search strategy, but it can serve as a mighty co-pilot that operates at a scale and speed humans can’t match.
Final Take
Google Ads’ rollout of AI Max for Search represents a pivotal moment in performance advertising. It brings together the precision of manual Search with the intelligence of AI, bridging a long-standing gap between automation and control. While it may not yet offer thoroughly segmented reporting, its early performance results and flexibility suggest that AI Max could become the new default for forward-thinking advertisers.
If you’re running traditional Search campaigns and wondering where Google Ads is headed next, AI Max is the answer.
