AI Max for Search is a one-click setting in Google Ads that adds AI-powered search term matching, text customization and Final URL expansion to your existing Search campaigns. SDK Media sets it up, adds brand and URL controls, pairs it with conversion-based Smart Bidding, and scales it on measured ROAS.
What is Google AI Max for Search?
AI Max is not a new campaign type. It is a setting you turn on inside a standard Google Search campaign. It bundles targeting and creative features that build on your keywords, ads and landing pages.
Search term matching: uses broad match and keywordless technology to reach relevant queries your keywords miss. It can be turned off per ad group.
Text customization: generates headlines and descriptions from your existing ads, landing pages and assets, using Google’s generative AI.
Final URL expansion: sends a searcher to the most relevant page on your site that matches the ad group’s theme. It requires text customization to stay on.
Controls: brand inclusions and exclusions, locations of interest at the ad group level, and URL inclusions and exclusions.
Reporting: headlines and URLs in the search terms report, plus asset reporting on spend and conversions.
How we run AI Max
Baseline audit: we check your current Search CAC, ROAS and conversion tracking before anything changes.
Bidding first: AI Max needs conversion-based Smart Bidding. Search term matching doesn’t work with Manual CPC, so we move to Maximize Conversions or Maximize Conversion Value with clean conversion data.
Guardrails: we set brand controls, URL exclusions, negatives and locations of interest so the extra reach stays on-brand and on-market.
Controlled test: we run AI Max on chosen campaigns against a baseline, on a fixed test budget.
Review weekly: we read the search terms, headlines and landing pages AI Max used, and prune what doesn’t convert.
Scale on ROAS: we use budget flighting to move spend toward what proves out, all visible in live KPI dashboards.
Who AI Max suits
Sports: ticketing and partnership campaigns, where fans search in many different ways.
Entertainment and live events: short on-sale windows, where finding new high-intent queries quickly matters.
Collectibles and fan festivals: large catalogues and niche searches that keyword lists rarely cover fully.
DTC ecommerce: sites with many product and category pages, which suit Final URL expansion.
It fits best when conversion tracking is reliable and the campaign already has conversion history for Smart Bidding to learn from.
Our Google Search results
These are our team’s Google Search results from campaigns that ran before AI Max launched. They show the Search fundamentals AI Max builds on: high-intent queries, Smart Bidding toward conversion value, and tight geo targeting.
A sports client: 14.06 ROAS on Google Search ($335K conversion value on $23.8K spend). ROAS rose from 0.05 to 20.98 in 27 days after moving from Display to high-intent Search.
An entertainment client: 41.20 ROAS on a Google Search event ticketing campaign, with $250K+ revenue on $6,337.61 spend at a $3.77 CPA.
A collectibles client: 5.03 ROAS on Google Ads for a fan festival campaign.
Google AI Max FAQ
What is Google AI Max for Search?
AI Max is a setting for Google Search campaigns. It adds search term matching, text customization and Final URL expansion to help ads reach more relevant queries with more relevant copy and landing pages, while you keep your keywords and campaign controls.
Is AI Max a new campaign type?
No. AI Max is turned on inside an existing Search campaign. Your keywords, ad groups and budgets stay, and AI Max builds on them.
How is AI Max different from Performance Max?
Performance Max runs across all Google channels from one campaign. AI Max stays inside Search campaigns, so you keep Search-level controls and reporting. Google describes it as an evolution of Dynamic Search Ads and Performance Max Final URL expansion.
Does AI Max work with Manual CPC?
Not fully. Search term matching does not work with Manual CPC. Google recommends conversion-based Smart Bidding, such as Maximize Conversions or Maximize Conversion Value, to get AI Max’s full capabilities.
Can I control where AI Max sends traffic and which brands it matches?
Yes. URL inclusions and exclusions limit which pages Final URL expansion can use. Brand inclusions and exclusions at the campaign and ad group level control which brands your ads appear alongside.
Can I see which searches AI Max matched?
Yes. The search terms report shows the headlines and URLs used, and asset reporting shows how assets performed on spend and conversions.
Is AI Max right for my brand?
It suits brands with reliable conversion tracking and Search history, especially in sports, entertainment, collectibles and DTC ecommerce. We start with a baseline audit to check fit before turning it on.
How does SDK Media measure AI Max results?
We compare against a pre-AI Max baseline on CAC, ROAS and conversion value, review search terms and landing pages weekly, and report everything in live KPI dashboards.
Ready to run AI Max for Search?
Start with a baseline audit of your Search account, and we’ll show you where AI Max can add reach without losing control.
Google and Google Ads are trademarks of Google LLC. SDK Media is not affiliated with or endorsed by Google.