What is AI Max for Search and how does it impact marketers?

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 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 product.

In this article I’ll guide you through what AI Max for search is, what it means for customer ad journeys, what we know about how it works, 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 May 2025.

Here’s a breakdown of what it does:

• 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 allows advertisers to specify which brand’s ads can be associated with or prevent ads from showing against.

Improvements to reporting are included, such as insight into which headlines and URLs showed and how they performed.

Early data from Google suggests that advertisers who activate AI Max for Search will typically get a 14% uplift in conversions. For campaigns where currently only exact and phrase are being 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 maximise on AI Search Max? My advice to marketers 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. In an age of AI Overviews, the search terms users make use of are 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 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 in a wider strategy tuned into real people and how they search and you can unlock serious performance.

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

With 14+ years in digital marketing, including 9 years in New Zealand’s tourism sector, Charlie is a seasoned pro. As an Account Director at Launch, she leads performance marketing strategy and execution, driving award-winning results. Known for her sharp eye for detail, Charlie is always learning, experimenting, and finding new ways to push performance. In a fast-evolving landscape, she embraces change, turning it into a competitive edge for her clients. 

Connect with Charlie on LinkedIn.