AI Max for Search Campaigns: What you need to know about "Search Max"

By: Jyll Saskin Gales, Google Ads Coach

The only constant in Google Ads is change, and one of the biggest changes recently is the introduction of AI Max for Search Campaigns. This is a new set of features designed to enhance your search advertising with automated targeting and creative. As an ex-Googler and Google Ads coach, I've had the unique opportunity to speak with the Google employees who built AI Max, and gather insights from industry experts, like Ginny Marvin's Q&A with PPCChat. I'm here to bring you a clear, hype-free breakdown of what you need to know.

AI Max, previously in private beta as "Search Max," should be available in your Google Ads account by now. You'll find it in your Search campaign settings. It is turned off by default, so you can choose to opt in if you'd like to test out its features.

What is AI Max? An Evolution, Not a Replacement

At its core, AI Max is a bundle of three features that, while repackaged under a new name, leverage existing Google Ads functionalities. It's designed to add an extra layer of AI on top of your existing search campaigns, not to replace them.

The Three Core Features of AI Max

1. Expanded Query Matching (Keyword-less Targeting): This is the most noteworthy aspect of AI Max. If you're familiar with Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) or dynamic ad groups, you've encountered keyword-less technology before (it's been around for over a decade). AI Max brings together broad match and DSA-like features to help you advertise on the most relevant searches for your business, without needing explicit keywords to match to queries. This is how Performance Max works, and even how Shopping campaigns work, too.

2. Text Customization (formerly known as Automatically Created Assets - ACAs): Think of this as an improved version of ACAs. Google uses its AI to analyze your other ads and website pages, then creates new headlines, descriptions, and other ad pieces tailored to your business. You remain in control of the assets you provide and can remove any you don't want to show.

3. Final URL Expansion: Borrowed from Performance Max campaigns, this feature gives Google permission to select any relevant page of your website as a landing page, not just the final URL you set in your ad. Importantly, Google says that in AI Max, Final URL expansion will only direct users to pages related to your ad group's theme, providing a more focused approach than its Performance Max counterpart. You can still set rules and exclusions to guide where users land.

AI Max Integration and Compatibility

AI Max is not a new campaign type or a new keyword match type; it's an optional set of features you can use within new or existing Search campaigns.

• AI Max replaces the broad match setting in the campaign settings interface
• AI Max is compatible with Smart Bidding strategies and portfolio bid strategies
• AI Max is compatible with brand inclusions and exclusions,
• AI Max is compatible with audience targeting, negative keywords, page feeds, and drafts & experiments

What AI Max Isn't: Dispelling Common Misconceptions

There's been a lot of chatter and misinformation surrounding AI Max. Let's clarify what it isn't:

• Not a New Campaign Type: AI Max is a feature set within existing Search campaigns, not a separate campaign type you're forced to switch to.

• Not a New Keyword Match Type: While you may see AI Max listed in your search terms report's match type column, this is simply an indicator that the search terms originated from AI Max; it's not an actual keyword match type like exact, phrase, or broad.

• Not a Revolution, but an Evolution: For the most part, AI Max repackages and refines existing functionalities, building on Google's long-standing push towards more AI. It's worth noting that AI Max is still in its very early stages, and like other new features (such as Performance Max when it first launched), it will surely evolve over time.

• Not a "Black Box" or Loss of Control: Contrary to some concerns about Google taking away control, AI Max is designed to offer more transparency and control in key areas. You can easily toggle AI Max on or off, and you have granular control over its components. For example, you can just turn on keyword-less targeting, without using text asset customization or final URL expansion. 

AI Max Brings More Transparency and Control to Search Campaigns

In addition to the "core 3" features, AI Max brings 2 enhanced visibility and targeting capabilities that you can't get through regular keywords.

1. Ad Group Level Location Intent Targeting: This is an exciting development for businesses with a national reach but specific local interests. For example, if your campaign targets the entire United States for hotels, you can now set an ad group level location intent for "Los Angeles." This means your ads can show for general hotel keywords, and the system will understand the "Los Angeles" intent, even if the user isn't physically there. This is highly beneficial for tourism and travel-related businesses.

2. Enhanced Search Terms Report: This is a significant improvement for transparency. With AI Max, your search terms report will not only show you the search terms and their matched keyword (or "AI Max" source), but also:

   • The specific headlines that served with those search terms.

   • The precise landing page users landed on from that search.

   • A dedicated "AI Max for Search campaigns" view to show detailed insights for keyword-less and broad match traffic. This is a welcome change for Responsive Search Ads (RSAs), where you currently don't know which headlines are serving with which searches.

Is AI Max is Right for You? Key Considerations

While AI Max offers some key advantages, it's not a one-size-fits-all solution. The success of AI-driven solutions like AI Max hinges on the quality and volume of data you feed Google. Anecdotally, the types of searches I'm seeing from my coaching clients who are testing AI Max are often very generic, one-or-two-word searches, and a significant number of competitor terms. I've heard from industry colleagues that they're also seeing very long tail queries, with 7+ words. Remember, AI Max will still respect your negative keywords.

I would say AI Max is most helpful if you are already leveraging automation in Search; you're using Broad Match or Dynamic Search ads, and you’re feeling like you’ve maxed out on the available opportunity. It's a way to expand your reach if your impression share is already high and performance is strong.

However, if you're spending a small budget on a few Exact Match keywords and/or using manual bidding, AI Max is not the solution for you. Also, remember that this is a brand new feature; Google is likely still working out a lot of kinks behind the scenes. Many advertisers prefer to wait until new features are "more fully baked" before investing in them, and that's absolutely fair.

Here are a few more things to keep in mind if you're deciding whether or not to turn on AI Max:

• Conversion Tracking is Paramount: You must have robust conversion tracking in place, accurately telling Google what a valuable action is for your business. If your conversions are merely lead form fills, consider implementing offline conversion tracking through a tool like CallRail [affiliate link]. This provides Google with real business data on qualified leads or paying customers, preventing the system from optimizing for spammy, low-quality leads.

• Sufficient Data Volume: Automated solutions, including broad match and AI Max, perform best when they have enough data to learn. If you have a very small budget or limited conversion history, the system may struggle to optimize effectively.

• Strict Brand Rules/Sensitive Industries: Text customization is not recommended if you have very strict brand guidelines or operate in sensitive industries, or if your website changes often without corresponding ad updates.

• Budget & Opportunity: AI Max, like broad match, thrives on sufficient budget. If you're currently maxed out on exact match opportunities and want to grow, AI Max presents a viable path.

How to Start Testing AI Max: A Phased Approach

If you're curious about AI Max but are an automation skeptic, it's wise to approach testing with a phased strategy. Here are 2 ways you can test AI Max without actually testing AI Max:

• Try Broad Match: If you primarily use exact match, experiment with broad match first. You can use Google Ads experiments to compare its performance against your existing campaign structure.

• Explore Dynamic Ad Groups: If you've never used them, dynamic ad groups offer a similar keyword-less targeting experience to AI Max.

If these "walking steps" work well for you, you're likely to have a positive experience with AI Max when it becomes available in your account. While it's full automation, trying these intermediate steps first can prevent frustration and wasted budget during the learning phase.

Once AI Max is available, you can turn it on as an experiment to directly compare its performance against your existing campaign structure without fully committing. Alternatively, for smaller budgets, you can simply turn it on and then review the incremental impact in your Search Terms report. You will be able to see which terms originated from AI Max and which came from your existing targeting. For most advertisers, it's better to turn AI Max on within an existing campaign rather than starting a new one explicitly to test AI Max. The campaign-level learnings already in place (from your bid strategy, keywords, etc.) will help AI Max get off the ground faster. If you start a brand new campaign, it will have to learn from scratch and will also have to compete against your existing campaigns.

Which is better: Performance Max or AI Max?

Remember, AI Max is still a Search-only campaign, while Performance Max can serve Ads on Search, Shopping, Display, Discover, Maps, YouTube and more.

If you are already running a Performance Max campaign, check your Channel performance report under "Insights and Reports." If most of your Performance Max budget and performance are coming from Search, then it might make sense to move that budget to an AI Max Search campaign instead. This will offer more transparency and control than a Performance Max campaign, while still offering expansion features. However, if your existing Performance Max is providing value beyond Search (e.g., through Display, Shopping, or Video), then let it keep doing so, and leave your existing Search campaigns as they are.

If you are not yet running a Performance Max campaign, it's up to you whether you want to expand into all channels with PMax, or only expand into new queries with AI Max. Note that if you run a Performance Max campaign with a strict Target CPA or Target ROAS, this will force it into primarily search inventory. In my opinion, this defeats the point of PMax, and you would be better served with AI Max for Search instead.

AI Max for Search Campaigns: a recap

In a nutshell, AI Max for search campaigns is a bundle of three features:

1. expanded query matching
2. final URL expansion
3. text asset customization

In addition, Google is launching a few little new transparency and control features, for example, increased search term report transparency and new ad group level location intent settings.

My most succinct way to explain what this is:

• it's like Search-only PMax
• it's like DSA with RSAs
• it's like DSA and broad match on top of your existing keywords
• it's like optimized targeting for your keywords

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