AI Max for Google Search - Google’s Latest Paid Search Upgrade

What exactly is AI Max?

Think of AI Max as Google’s new turbo‑charger for Search campaigns. With a single toggle it:

Widens reach by layering broad‑match and "keyword‑less" technology over your existing structure, capturing valuable queries you’d never target manually.

Auto‑crafts creative using generative AI that rewrites headlines and descriptions in real time for hyper‑relevant messaging.

Sends users to the best destination via Final‑URL Expansion, which automatically selects the landing page most likely to convert while still letting you pin or exclude URLs.

Centralises controls by housing brand inclusions/exclusions, locations‑of‑interest and built‑in 50/50 experiments in one place so you can test without duplicating campaigns.

Early Google benchmarks indicate advertisers see around 14 % more conversions at the same CPA/ROAS when they switch AI Max on.

AI Max vs Performance Max – which to use when?

Inventory
‑ AI Max: Search Network only
‑ Performance Max (P‑Max): Search, Display, YouTube, Discover, Gmail and Maps

Creative formats
‑ AI Max: dynamic text ads
‑ P‑Max: mixed text, image and video

Control and transparency
‑ AI Max: query‑, asset‑ and URL‑level reporting
‑ P‑Max: channel‑level only

Rule of thumb: use AI Max when you want search‑only growth with granular insight; use P‑Max for broad cross‑channel prospecting or remarketing.

Why NZ and AU advertisers should care

- Early‑mover advantage – CPCs usually climb once the market rushes in.
‍Resource efficiency – AI‑written assets and automatic URL routing trim creative and dev overheads.
Stronger reporting – new columns for search terms, assets and landing pages satisfy even the most data‑hungry stakeholders.
Future‑proofing – as search behaviour shifts toward longer, conversational queries, AI Max keeps you visible.

Roll‑out timeline for New Zealand and Australia

Open beta began 27  May  2025.
Google says AI Max will be available to all advertisers by early Q3 2025.
Many AU/NZ accounts already show the AI Max toggle; if yours doesn’t, ask your Google rep to enable the beta.

AI Overviews placements – is AI Max the only path?

Short answer: no – but it helps.

Ads inside Google’s new AI Overviews are eligible when campaigns use an AI‑driven targeting method such as broad‑match Search, Dynamic Search Ads, Performance Max or AI Max. AI Max stacks the deck because its keyword‑less expansion aligns closely with how AI Overviews interpret intent, yet it is not a magic‑key placement control.

Geography note: Ads within AI Overviews are live only for English queries in the US for now. Google says they will expand to select English‑speaking countries – including AU and NZ – “soon”.

Five‑step KZN action plan

1. Audit your data layer – flawless conversion tracking and first‑party audiences are non‑negotiable for Google AI.
2. Consolidate keyword clutter – merge duplicative ad groups so AI Max learns faster.
3. Refresh creative inputs – tight, on‑brand headlines, descriptions and landing pages give the model quality raw material.
4. Run controlled experiments – enable the built‑in 50/50 test for two weeks; roll out winners iteratively.
5. Review and refine weekly – pause weak assets, tweak brand rules and feed insights into other channels. Continuous optimisation is the Kaizen way.

Final word

AI Max is more than another Google buzzword – it is a practical upgrade that delivers scale without the blackout reporting of P‑Max.

‍However, we do not recommend turning it on across every campaign straight away. Enable AI Max in a single, well‑structured Search campaign first, monitor query mix, creative variations and cost‑per‑conversion for at least two weeks, and expand only when the data proves out.