Google Ads AI Max: Everything You Need to Know

Google has quietly rolled out one of the biggest updates to Search campaigns in years: AI Max.

It’s not a new campaign type like Performance Max, instead, it’s an AI-powered upgrade layer that makes your existing Search campaigns smarter, more automated, and (in theory) more effective.

If you are managing Google Ads, you’ll start seeing prompts to enable AI Max across your Search campaigns soon. This guide explains exactly what it is, how it works, and what to consider before switching it on.
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1. What is AI Max?

AI Max is Google’s new intelligence layer for Search ads.

Think of it as an upgrade that gives your Search campaigns access to machine-learning capabilities previously reserved for Performance Max, but with more control.

Key features include:

• Smarter search-term matching
• Goes beyond traditional keyword matching to identify new, high-intent queries your keywords might miss.
• Auto-optimised ad assets
• Uses your existing copy and website content to generate additional headlines and descriptions.
• Final URL expansion
• Sends traffic to the most relevant landing page on your site, even if it’s not the one you originally specified.
• Brand and URL controls
• Lets you set inclusion and exclusion lists so you still have guardrails on where your ads appear.

Google says early adopters are seeing an average 14% lift in conversions or conversion value at similar CPA or ROAS and in some keyword-heavy accounts, the uplift is closer to 27%.
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2. Why Google Launched AI Max

AI Max reflects Google’s broader shift toward intent-based search, not keyword-only targeting.

People now search in natural language, across multiple devices and contexts.

Exact and phrase match keywords still matter — but they no longer capture the full picture.

AI Max is designed to:

• Help advertisers reach untapped search intent
• Make ad relevance and landing-page routing more dynamic
• Deliver more consistent performance with less manual adjustment

For advertisers, that means less time guessing which keywords to add, and more time optimising for the leads or sales that matter.
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3. How It Works

When you activate AI Max in a Search campaign, you can choose which features to enable.

Step 1: Turn it on

Go to your Search campaign → Settings → AI Max toggle → Enable.

Step 2: Choose your options

• Search term matching – expands keyword coverage using AI intent matching.
• Text customisation – allows AI to test auto-generated headlines and descriptions.
• Final URL expansion – optional; lets Google send traffic to the most relevant page.

Step 3: Set your controls

• Add brand inclusions or exclusions.
• Exclude URLs you don’t want traffic sent to.
• Review and approve any auto-generated ad assets.

Step 4: Monitor performance

Google now labels these queries in the search terms report as “AI Max” so you can see which clicks came through AI-assisted matching.

4. When to Use It

AI Max isn’t for every campaign, at least not yet.

It works best when:

✅ You have steady conversion volume and clean tracking in place.

✅ Your site has clear, high-quality landing pages.

✅ You’re looking to scale performance or break past a plateau.

It’s less ideal when:

⚠️ You’re in a highly regulated sector (e.g. finance, healthcare).

⚠️ You need full control of copy or destination pages.

⚠️ Your current campaign has limited data or minimal history.

For most advertisers, it’s worth testing — but with guardrails.
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5. Benefits

• More reach, same budget – captures extra queries without needing endless keyword lists.
• Smarter creative testing – auto-generated assets can uncover messaging you hadn’t considered.
• Early-adopter advantage – using AI Max early helps you gather learnings ahead of competitors.
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6. Watchouts

As with any automation, AI Max isn’t foolproof.

• Brand safety: Automated headlines or landing-page routing can sometimes miss the mark.
• → Review assets weekly and use brand/URL exclusions.
• Irrelevant traffic: Broad AI logic can open you to poor-fit searches.
• → Use negatives and check “AI Max” queries in the Search Terms report.
• Attribution blur: Some “new” conversions may be re-attributed existing ones.
• → Run an A/B experiment to confirm true incremental value.
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7. Lever’s Recommendation

At Lever, we see AI Max as the next logical step in Google’s automation journey — and an opportunity for brands who adopt it strategically.

Our recommendation:

1. Start with a test campaign.
2. Pick a Search campaign with stable performance and measurable goals.
3. Turn on AI Max selectively.
4. Enable one or two features first (e.g. asset optimisation, not Final URL expansion).
5. Measure the results.
6. Track conversion volume, CPA, and the proportion of “AI Max” queries.
7. Iterate.
8. Keep what works, exclude what doesn’t, and expand once results are consistent.

For most brands, this hybrid approach, part manual, part AI-assisted, and will be the most effective way to scale search performance in 2026.

8. Key Takeaways

• AI Max is an upgrade, not a replacement. It builds on Search campaigns, not Performance Max.
• You stay in control. Brand and URL exclusions give you oversight.
• It’s data-driven. The more high-quality conversions you feed it, the better it performs.
• Testing is essential. Every account behaves differently; don’t assume instant results.
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Final Thought

The paid search landscape is evolving fast, and Google’s AI Max is a clear signal that the future of paid search lies in blending automation with human oversight.

Handled well, it can unlock incremental growth without losing the control marketers rely on.

Lever is already testing AI Max across B2B, SaaS, and eCommerce accounts to identify where it delivers genuine uplift. If you’re planning to scale your Search activity in 2025, it’s worth exploring how this new layer of Google AI could fit into your strategy.

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