AI Max for Search: What It Is, How It Works, and When to Use It?

Google Ads is taking another big step in AI-powered Search campaigns with AI Max—a feature suite designed to expand keyword reach, improve automation, and maintain transparency. But is it right for you?

What is AI Max?

AI Max is a new one-click feature suite within Google Search campaigns (now rolling out globally in beta). It enables advanced, AI-powered enhancements to:

• Expand keyword reach using broad match and keywordless targeting
• Dynamically generate and optimize ad assets (headlines, descriptions)
• Route users to the most relevant landing pages
• Provide new controls and reporting transparency

It’s not a new campaign type—it’s a feature layer you can activate within standard Search campaigns

Ginny Marvin, Ads Product Liaison, from Google Ads, said:

Your existing campaign settings don’t change, including location, budget, language, etc. However, AI Max introduces new optional location controls at the ad group level.

How does AI Max Work?

You provide:

• A goal (sales, leads, etc.)
• A budget
• Basic business or product info (optional assets)

Google’s AI handles:

Once enabled, AI Max:

1. Search term matching – Expands beyond your keywords using broad match and “keyword‑less” technology to capture relevant queries you might be missing
2. Audience Targeting: Uses real-time signals (intent, behavior, location, device) to reach likely converters — no manual audience setup needed
3. Audience Targeting: Uses real-time signals (intent, behavior, location, device) to reach likely converters — no manual audience setup needed
4. URL Expansion: Dynamically chooses landing pages based on performance (with optional URL exclusions)
5. Bidding Compatibility: Works with your selected bid strategy (Maximize Conversions, Target CPA/ROAS, etc.) — AI Max doesn’t change bidding, but enhances outcomes
6. Placements: Limited to Google Search + Search Partners (if enabled); not cross-network like Performance Max
7. Transparency & Control: Retains visibility into search terms and allows negative keywords, brand and URL exclusions
   

It’s goal-based, cross-channel, and auto-generated — a black-box campaign powered entirely by Google’s AI.

How to Test AI Max?

AI Max brings powerful automation to Search, but before rolling it out fully, it’s smart to test it in a controlled way. Here’s how you can approach testing it efficiently:

1. Start with a Draft + Experiment
   • Run A/B tests with AI Max toggled on vs. off. Set up a new Search campaign with AI Max enabled
   • Keep it separate from your existing campaigns to isolate performance
   • Use consistent budgets and conversion goals.
2. Monitor Search Term Match Types
   • Use the new “Search term match type” segmentation to compare keyword vs. keywordless performance.
3. Use Exclusions like Brand & Geo Controls
   • Apply exclusions to prevent irrelevant expansion.
   • Apply negative keywords, and URL blocks as needed
4. Compare Against a Control Campaign
   • Keep a parallel manual Search campaign for the same goal
   • Compare performance: CPCs, conversions, search term quality
5. Track Incrementality
   • Look for net new conversions and lower CPAs from untapped queries

What is the role of Negative Keywords in AI Max Campaigns?

Negative keywords can be applied at the campaign or ad group level. In addition, AI Max offers brand exclusions and geo-intent targeting to give you more precise control over where and how your ads appear.

1. Control Over AI-Driven Expansion

AI Max uses broad match logic and machine learning to go beyond your keyword list and match a wide range of user queries.
Negative keywords help narrow down and block irrelevant or low-intent queries that Google’s AI might otherwise include.

2. Supports Brand Safety and Budget Efficiency

• Helps avoid showing ads for brand-inappropriate searches
• Prevents wasting spend on unqualified or irrelevant traffic
• Especially useful if you’re using URL expansion, where AI chooses landing pages

3. Refining AI Match Behavior

AI Max automates keyword expansion, but it doesn’t understand brand positioning, niche relevance, or nuanced business exclusions like a human would.
Negative keywords act as your manual override to fine-tune AI suggestions.

How is AI Max different from other features?

Ginny Marvin, Ads Product Liaison, from Google Ads, said:

AI Max for Search campaigns is built to have parity with Search on PMax. Both AI Max for Search campaigns and PMax use the latest Google AI and the main difference is that PMax serves ads across Search and non-Search channels, while AI Max for Search campaigns only serves on Search text inventory. And as we’ve touched on — there are also additional features available with AI Max for Search campaigns such as new ad group level controls (search term matching, text customization, URL expansion, location targeting, brand controls and search category tracking parameter) and reporting options. 

1. It’s Not a New Campaign Type—It’s a Feature Layer

• AI Max is applied within standard Search campaigns.
• Unlike Performance Max, which is a separate campaign type spanning all Google channels, AI Max keeps you in the Search ecosystem—with added automation.

2. Keywordless Matching + Broad Match Expansion

• AI Max introduces keywordless targeting, using your landing pages, ad assets, and context to match queries—even if you haven’t added them as keywords.
• This goes beyond traditional broad match, which still requires a keyword seed.

Broad match is not considered “keywordless” because the keyword is what’s used for matching to the query (along with other signals). DSAs & PMax are examples of using keywordless technology – where you don’t explicitly enter keywords for targeting. AI Max for Search uses 2 types of info for keywordless targeting: landing page info (like DSA) as well as targeting based on the content in the ad group including your assets & keywords.

3. Dynamic Asset Generation (Text Customization)

• Formerly known as Automatically Created Assets (ACA), AI Max dynamically generates headlines, descriptions, and display paths.
• Unlike RSAs, which require manual input, AI Max can generate assets from your site content, existing ads, and landing pages.

4. Final URL Expansion (Optional)

• AI Max can automatically route users to the most relevant landing page on your site.
• This is similar to Dynamic Search Ads (DSA), but with more control—you can opt in or out.

5. Search Term Match Source Labeling

• AI Max introduces a new “match source” column in the search terms report:
  • keyword = matched via your added keyword
  • keywordless = matched via AI logic (landing page, assets, etc.)
• This level of transparency is not available in Performance Max or DSA.

6. More Control Than Performance Max

• You retain:
  • Negative keywords
  • Brand exclusions
  • Geo targeting
  • Asset review/editing
• PMax offers limited control and no keyword-level visibility.

7. Smart Bidding Required—but Strategy Is Yours

• AI Max works only with Smart Bidding (Max Conversions, Max Conversion Value, tCPA, tROAS).
• But it doesn’t change your bidding logic—it expands reach within your existing goals.

8. Testable via Experiments

• You can A/B test AI Max vs. non-AI Max setups using Drafts & Experiments.
• This is harder to do with Performance Max, which lacks a true control group.

A visual representation for a better understanding:

Why AI Max Matters?

AI Max represents a significant shift: bringing automation, intent discovery, and simplified management to Search campaigns — but without the opacity of Performance Max.

Final Thought: Treat AI Max not as a replacement for strategy, but as a discovery layer. Use it to learn, not just to scale.

Related Links :

• PPCChat | Questions About AI Max for Search Campaigns | 13th May 2025
• Performance Max Campaign: What You Should Know
• PPCChat | Performance Max Campaigns | 15th February 2022