AI Max For Search

• Ad Grants
• News
• Services
• 21. 07. 2025

In 2013, Google launched Enhanced Campaigns. In 2018, they introduced Smart Campaigns. Then Performance Max came along in 2021, its most aggressive step toward full automation. Now, in 2025, we’re seeing another transformational change taking place, AI Max for Search.

For years, Google’s been slowly removing the strict dependence on keywords and replacing it with AI-driven targeting methods that look at intent, context, and user behavior instead. AI Max is the culmination of that journey, a campaign type that doesn’t just use automation, but relies on it, powered by generative AI and Google’s vast search intelligence.

But this isn’t Performance Max repackaged. It’s something new. AI Max blends the targeting flexibility of Broad Match, the content-matching logic of Dynamic Search Ads, and the creative generation power of automatically created assets – all under one system.

With search pages evolving, organic content shrinking, and AI overviews reshaping results, advertisers need a way to compete smarter. AI Max might be that way. In this post, we’ll break down what AI Max is, what it offers, how it works, and why it signals the future of search ads.

What Is AI Max?

At its core, AI Max is a comprehensive suite of targeting and creative features designed to expand your reach and improve creative performance in Search campaigns, without requiring you to upload a keyword list.

You read that right.

With AI Max, you don’t have to enter a single keyword. You simply provide a URL, and Google uses signals from your landing pages, existing ads, and account history to find and match with relevant searches. Think of it as a hybrid between Broad Match and Dynamic Search Ads (DSA), but smarter.

The Reason Behind AI Max Launch

AI Max isn’t just a feature, it’s a reflection of how Google sees the future of search advertising. Keyword targeting is powerful, but it’s also limiting. Advertisers can only guess what people might search. AI Max flips that by letting Google use its own understanding of search behavior to match your ads with high-performing queries you might not have thought to target.

This helps advertisers:

• Capture more relevant traffic
• Uncover missed keyword themes
• Automatically optimize landing page experiences

In a world where generative AI is reshaping search behavior, this is Google’s play to keep advertisers ahead.

Core Features Of AI Max

Here’s what you actually get when you enable AI Max:

1. Search Term Matching

• Expands your reach beyond existing keywords.
• Uses your ads, URL, and assets to predict which searches are a good fit.
• Gives incremental reach without giving up all control.
• Includes brand controls (e.g., only show ads with/next to certain brands).
• Allows ad group-level location interest targeting, a new layer of geo-control.

You can turn this on/off at the ad group level.

2. Text Customization (Asset Optimization)

• Formerly known as automatically created assets.
• Uses generative AI to write new headlines and descriptions based on user intent and your site content.
• Helps tailor messages more precisely to individual searches.

You can toggle this at the campaign level.

3. Final URL Expansion

• Lets Google send users to any relevant page on your site, not just the final URL you set.
• You can exclude or include specific URLs and create rules to focus on certain page types.
• This is a familiar concept if you’ve used Performance Max

If turned on, pinned ad assets may be ignored to match new landing pages.

Transparency & Reporting Upgrades

One of the biggest critiques of automation has always been the “black box” effect. Google’s aware of that, and AI Max makes some significant strides here.

• Search Term Report now shows:
  • Which terms were matched by AI Max
  • The headline and landing page served
• Keywords Report includes a breakdown of AI Max’s total contribution
• Landing Page Report shows which URLs were selected by AI
• Asset Report displays how AI-generated assets are performing based on spend, conversions, and other KPIs

Bottom line: you get a much clearer picture of what’s happening behind the scenes.

Control Is Still Yours, At Least For Now

Although AI Max offers a high degree of automation, it’s completely optional (for now) and comes with more flexibility than you might expect.

You can:

• Opt out of any individual feature
• Continue using negative keywords
• Customize brand and URL inclusions/exclusions
• Decide which campaigns (or ad groups) use AI Max

But be warned: some of these features may become defaults in the future. So if you want to experiment while you still have full control, now’s the time.

Our Early Experience With AI Max

Since AI Max is a relatively new feature, we’ve only been able to gather limited data so far, having enabled it just over a week ago. At this early stage, the data isn’t particularly representative, and results have been mixed. We’ve been in close contact with certified professionals across the industry, and early feedback reflects a wide range of outcomes. Some advertisers are seeing minor improvements in CPC, while others have noted inconsistent performance, particularly in how AI Max selects search queries, sometimes prioritizing branded terms over broader, high-intent keywords that had previously performed well. Overall, while AI Max shows promise, it’s clear that careful experimentation and strategic oversight are still essential.

Final Thoughts

AI Max for Search is definitely one of the biggest shifts we’ve seen in Google Ads in a while and like most big changes, it comes with both excitement and uncertainty. We’re still in the early days, and while some of the results we’ve seen (and heard from others) are promising, it’s clear that this isn’t a plug-and-play solution.

If you’re thinking of trying it out, do it thoughtfully. Start small, keep a close eye on results, and don’t be afraid to turn things off and tweak your setup. As with any new tool, the magic happens when automation meets human strategy.