Google’s AI Max: What You Need to Know Before You Turn It On
- 4M Digital
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
AI Max is Google’s latest attempt to automate even more of your Search campaigns. But before you switch it on thinking it’s a quick win for performance, let’s take a closer look. Because, spoiler alert: this is basically Dynamic Search Ads in disguise, with a bit of Performance Max for lead gen energy thrown in. And no, it’s not the magic bullet it’s being hyped up to be.
In this post, I’ll walk you through what AI Max actually is, what’s new, what to look out for, and how to decide if it’s worth testing.
What is AI Max?
AI Max is not a new campaign type. It’s a setting you can turn on inside your existing Search campaigns. You’ll only see the option once your campaign is already using:
Broad match keywords
Smart bidding (such as Maximise Conversions or Target ROAS)
Responsive Search Ads (RSAs)
But here’s the bit most people gloss over, smart bidding only works if you’re feeding the system enough quality conversion data. If your tracking is patchy, if your conversions are too few, or if you’re optimising for the wrong thing, you’re not giving the machine what it needs to learn and deliver.
This is where a lot of “AI Max didn’t work for me” complaints come from. The system can’t perform miracles if it’s working off bad signals. If your goal is leads but your conversion tag fires every time someone sneezes on the site, the machine will optimise for sneezes, not sales.
Top tip: Track both micro and macro conversions
Give the system more to work with. Don’t just rely on the final sale or lead form. Add in micro conversions like:
Time on site
Product page views
Add to basket
Email sign-ups
Button clicks
This builds a fuller picture of what “engagement” looks like and helps the system learn who your ideal customers are, not just who converts straight away.
What’s New (And Genuinely Useful)
Google has clearly learnt from the backlash it got around PMax and DSAs. With AI Max, they’ve added a few more layers of visibility and control:
✅ AI Max is now a searchable match type
You can now view AI Max traffic in your Search Terms report as its own match type. This means you can finally break out its performance, see what it’s matching to, and measure it like the rest of your activity.
✅ Better asset-level reporting
You’ll now see which headlines and descriptions were generated by AI, and how they performed. This includes conversion data, not just impressions, which is long overdue.
✅ More control over what AI can do
Final URL exclusions – Stop Google sending traffic to pages that shouldn’t be promoted
Brand controls – Avoid your ads showing against or alongside specific brands
Location interest targeting – Reach people who are interested in a place, not just physically in it
A Rebranded DSA with a Bit of PMax Thrown In
Let’s call it like it is. If you’ve run Dynamic Search Ads before, this will feel very familiar. Google scans your site, creates ad copy, and matches it to what it thinks users want. You don’t provide keywords for this part. You don’t always write the ads. And you don’t always get to decide where traffic lands.
Sound a bit like Performance Max? Exactly. Except AI Max lives in your Search campaigns and has slightly more guardrails.
In truth, this feels a lot like Google saying, “You didn’t use PMax for your lead gen campaigns, so here’s a version inside Search. You’re welcome.”
Is AI Max Right for You?
It depends on how your account is set up, how much data you have, and how comfortable you are giving up control.
You might want to test AI Max if:
You’re already using broad match and smart biddingYou’ve got strong conversion tracking and enough data
Your site is clean, fast, and conversion-ready
You want to scale and are open to letting AI explore
You probably shouldn’t if:
You’re in a highly regulated space or need strict brand control
You’ve had issues with Dynamic Search Ads matching irrelevant queries
You rely on exact or phrase match for precision
You don’t want machine-written headlines or AI-picked landing pages running without oversight
What to Watch Out For
Even with the new reporting and exclusions, AI Max comes with its fair share of red flags. Here are the big ones:
⚠️ Query overlap
If you’re running Performance Max too, expect some cannibalisation. AI Max, PMax and broad match can all fight over the same traffic. Keep your campaign structure clean and distinct.
⚠️ Ad copy surprises
Google is getting creative with AI-generated copy and sometimes too creative. Check asset reports weekly to make sure what’s being served actually represents your brand.
⚠️ Campaign-level optimisation only
AI Max disregards your well-structured ad groups. If you test it, make sure your measurement framework works at campaign level.
⚠️ Quantity over quality
Just because conversions go up doesn’t mean performance is better. Check your lead quality, AOV, or actual revenue before declaring it a win.
How to Test AI Max (The Smart Way)
If you’re curious about trying AI Max, don’t go all in. Test it properly, like you would any other new feature:
Duplicate an existing campaign and test AI Max separately
Set clear exclusions for URLs and brands that shouldn’t be touched
Track AI Max match type performance using Search Terms reporting
Review asset performance weekly - especially any AI-generated copy
Monitor ROAS or CPA, not just conversion volume
Test for 2- 4 weeks, and keep budget capped while assessing quality
Audit your conversion actions
Include both macro conversions (sales, leads) and micro conversions (add to basket, email sign-up, page depth)
The more useful signals you provide, the better AI performs
AI won’t think for you. It just responds to what you give it. So make sure you’re giving it something worth learning from.
🔹 Final Thoughts: Not a Straight No, But Definitely Not a Blind Yes
AI Max is another step in Google’s automation-first strategy. If PMax felt like too much for non-eCommerce brands, this is Google’s way of saying: “Fine, we’ll bring the same logic into Search instead.”
To their credit, it’s more transparent than what came before. We’ve got match-type filters, better reporting, and control levers that actually do something. But it’s still very much DSA with more AI. And it still requires proper setup and close monitoring.
So, Don’t Panic, but don’t switch it on without a plan either.
Need help deciding if AI Max is right for your account? That’s exactly the kind of thing I help clients with at 4M Digital, building smart, sustainable strategies that aren’t just driven by hype.
4M Digital is a paid media consultancy specialising in Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, and Paid Social campaigns. With over 15 years of expertise, we help businesses unlock the full potential of their digital advertising strategies through tailored management, audits, and training.