Google AI Max drives revenue but at a higher rate, according to Smart Ecommerce’s Mike Ryan, who has analyzed 250+ campaigns. Results are variable, and further testing is needed.
Why do we care. AI Max is not a minor update. Google’s most significant rethinking of search campaigns in years, moving from keyword syntax to pure intent matching. For you, that is both an opportunity (potential growth) and a risk (effective trading).
In numbers. Analysis result:
- Average income: +13%
- Average CPA: +16%
- ROAS Range: +42% to 35%
Advertisers who put AI Max to work typically see 14% more conversions or conversion rates at the same CPA or ROAS, rising to 27% for campaigns that still rely on similar keywords and terms, Google says.
Enabling AI Max is essentially a coin toss: you may see a lift, but efficiency will not follow, Ryan concludes.
What is AI Max actually. Instead of forcing Search campaigns to Performance Max, Google has gone in the opposite direction – bringing PMax-style automation to classic Search. The result is three important aspects:
- Search Term Matching (broad match expansion and keywordless indexing),
- Customizing Text (dynamic ad copy), and
- Last URL extension (default landing page selection).
Four Smarter Ecommerce pitfalls have been identified:
- Wide match consumption: Up to 63% of the time, it recycles existing entries rather than finding new queries.
- Hijacking competitors: In one account, AI Max grew so much into our competitor’s product terms that it consumed 69% of the total search impressions.
- To report an overload: Search term and ad combination reports can reach tens of thousands of rows, making manual testing nearly impossible without automation.
- Search our partner network explosion: One campaign saw half a million monthly impressions on SPN with a conversion rate of 0.07%, compared to 3.04% for standard Google search.
Between the lines. Google’s figures for the 14% increase do not include sales – which Ryan flags as important for ecommerce marketers. There’s also a deeper paradox: it’s possible to use AI Max if you’re already using Broad Match, DSA, and PMax — yet Google says those accounts will see very low incremental profits.
What’s next. In an interview with Ryan, Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin confirmed that Google plans to phase out Dynamic Search Ads and move the technology to AI Max Search. No firm timeline has been given, although past Google downgrades have typically taken up to a year from the announcement.
Ryan recommends running AI Max’s keyword-less features in your existing Search campaigns and starting to lower DSA — not migrating to PMax.
Ryan’s decision is cautiously optimistic. About 16% of marketers are testing AI Max, and only a few have installed it all. Start small, research aggressively, and don’t let FOMO about AI Overview drive your decision.
Report. The Ultimate Guide to AI Max for Google Search
Search Engine Land is owned by Semrush. We are committed to providing the highest quality of marketing articles. Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is written by an employee or paid contractor of Semrush Inc.
