By Charlie Gordon at Launch
Keeping marketing output optimised for search has always been a challenge. Here at Launch we remember a time when ads were managed via Google AdWords and we made manual bid adjustments!
Back then, finding high performing keywords was the holy grail. As AI has grown in significance, things have moved on and we’ve ridden the waves of Dynamic Search Ads, Smart Bidding, Broad Match and Performance Max.
Google’s latest product announcement – AI Max for search – is designed to take Search campaigns to the next level.
For marketers who play their cards right, it could be a major boost to conversions, so well done you for doing your research and getting to know this important new product.
In this article I’ll guide you through what AI Max for search is, what it will mean for customer ad journeys, what we know about how it will work, and what we know so far about how marketers can maximise on it.
Introducing…. AI Max for Search
So, what is AI Max for Search I hear you ask? Well, first things first, this isn’t a new campaign type. This is a feature which can be enabled within existing search campaigns, with the beta being rolled out globally late last month (May 2025).
Here’s a breakdown of what we know about it:
- The purpose of AI Max for Search is to help advertisers find more relevant search traffic
- It does this without relying only on the keywords advertisers are already using
- Instead, it uses AI to match ads to search terms – tapping into user intent – even if those exact match keywords aren’t in the ad account. It does this through keywordless technology.
- New automatically created assets will be generated based on landing pages, ads and keywords. This, alongside final URL expansion will help to send users to the most relevant landing page on your website.
- The benefit? Reaching queries and conversions that you might have otherwise missed with your standard search campaign set up.
How AI Max for Search could benefit brands
Brand controls at campaign and ad group level will allow advertisers to specify which brand’s ads can be associated with or prevent ads from showing against.
Improvements to reporting are promised, including insight into which headlines and URLs showed and how they performed.
Early data from Google suggests that advertisers who activate the new AI Max for Search feature will typically get a 14% uplift in conversions. For campaigns where currently only exact and phrase are being currently used, AI Max uplift has been even higher.
What can marketers do to prepare for AI Search Max?
Refine your content
What can you do to be ready for AI Search Max? My advice to marketers for 2025 is to focus on high quality, well-structured and relevant content across your sites.
Put yourself in the shoes of your customer:
- What questions do they have about your product and how can you answer them?
- Keep your content, factual and to the point and presented in an easy to consume way – war and peace is not required.
Here’s an example from our client Green People which we would expect to perform well in the AI Search Max model. Assuming, in an age of AI Overviews, the search terms users make use of will be questions rather than keywords (more discussion on this here), let’s say the search term is something like ‘Is there a natural product I can use to help with prickly heat’. Green People have designed this page to include both product feeds and detailed information (structured with headings and lists) about prickly heat at the foot of the page. In short, the most relevant pages will win the day.
Think beyond AI Max – fuel it with deeper insights
AI Max for Search has real potential, but like any tool, it works best when it’s part of a joined-up performance strategy. At Launch, we call it connected performance: content, experimentation, media and measurement working together to drive growth that lasts.
AI Max for Search helps you capture missed queries and drive conversion. But it’s content that connects, media that moves people, and measurement that tells you what’s actually working that make those gains sustainable. Treating AI Max as a silver bullet risks short-term uplift without long-term impact. But embed it ina wider strategy tuned into real people and how they search and you can unlock serious performance.
How will AI Max for Search change the paid search landscape?
Do I think AI Search Max will be a game changer? To be honest, I think the search game has been gradually changing for a while, since the introduction of Performance Max.
For me this is a welcome update for search, as it brings some of the existing tech into one campaign: think dynamic search ads, powered by great content, mixed with responsive search ads. This feels like a natural progression rather than a total shift in the search landscape.
Questions about AI Max for Search? We’re here to help.
Given the potential to ramp up your conversions by adopting AI Max for Search, you should check in with your performance marketing agency about how you can work together to optimise your content.
If you’re not sure where to start and a one-off consultation could be useful, our expert team would be happy to help. We have a deep understanding of paid media and always place your business growth at the heart of our solutions. Get in touch and let us know how we can help.
About the author
Charlie Gordon is an Account Director with 14 years of experience in digital marketing. At Launch she oversees strategy and execution for paid media campaigns, delivering strong results for clients. Connect with Charlie on LinkedIn.