AI Max for Google Ads is the latest buzz in the world of PPC, but does it live up to the hype? Chris Nightingale put it to the test and shares his insights, along with practical tips on how to make the most of this cutting-edge tool.

When Google first introduced AI Max, it was supposed to be the next big thing in automation, a smarter, more intuitive way to make search campaigns work better. And honestly, it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster. Sometimes it’s chaotic, sometimes it’s confusing, but when you get it right, it can seriously boost your performance.

At Can-Do Digital Marketing we’ve put AI Max through its paces with a bunch of our clients. What we’ve found is that while it doesn’t replace the need for solid basics, it definitely opens up new doors for scaling campaigns in a more dynamic way.

So, What Exactly Is AI Max?

Think of AI Max as an upgrade to your existing search campaigns. You won’t find it as a brand new campaign type; it’s more like a switch you can flip. Once it’s on, Google’s AI takes over, matching your ads to broader user intent, not just specific keywords.

It’s like the sweet spot between broad match and Dynamic Search Ads (DSAs). It digs into your landing pages, ad copy, and audience signals, then expands your reach to find relevant searches that traditional keyword targeting might miss.

Google touts it as smarter, leaner, and faster. But, as anyone who’s tried it will tell you, those first few days can feel anything but.

The Reality Check: Brace for a Bumpy Start

Let’s be real – the first week is messy. AI Max acts like an over-caffeinated intern, exploring every single query it can find. This often leads to a lot of irrelevant impressions before it figures out what actually works.

You’ll probably see things like:

• Huge spikes in impressions (sometimes over 100%!)
• Wild, experimental bidding
• Fluctuating conversion quality

It’s tempting to hit the off switch and panic, but trust me, patience is a virtue here.

What Happens Next: It Learns, It Refines

Somewhere between days 7 and 21, things start to calm down. Assuming you’ve given the campaign good conversion data and a clear list of exclusions, the system begins to make smarter decisions. It learns what’s effective and what’s not, tightening its focus without you having to lift a finger.

We noticed that by the third week, AI Max really started to hone in on strong performing themes and pull back from terms that weren’t converting well. For accounts with higher spending, that learning curve is even faster.

As one of our emails with a client  perfectly sums it  it up: “Days 1–7: chaos. Days 7–21: curiosity. Day 30: clarity.”

Our Test Results: The Proof is in the Pudding

We’ve now completed two controlled tests, comparing AI Max to our traditional setups, and the results have been surprisingly good:

AI Max Test V1 (July 28 – Sept 21, 2025)

• Conversions: +85.6%
• Cost per conversion: -48.3%
• Cost: -4%
• Clicks: -8.9%

AI Max Test V2 (same period)

• Conversions: +12.3%
• Cost per conversion: -11.1%
• Cost: -0.2%
• Clicks: +28.1%

In both tests, the group using AI Max came out on top –  and not by a small margin.

This shows that when you set it up and monitor it correctly, AI Max can outperform even the most stable search campaigns. But it’s not a “set it and forget it” kind of automation. You need to define the machine’s boundaries before you let it loose.

Take Control of What You Can

This is where a lot of advertisers stumble. They either give AI Max too much freedom or restrict it so much that it can’t find new opportunities. The key is finding that sweet spot.

Here’s what we recommend you keep a close eye on:

• Brand exclusions: Make sure AI Max isn’t inflating your results by bringing in brand-related traffic.
• Competitor and irrelevant negatives: Teach it what not to target.
• URL expansion settings: Decide which landing pages it can (and can’t) use.
• Conversion signals: Only include conversions that truly matter – avoid adding tiny micro-conversions that can mess with your bidding logic.

These are your levers. Use them wisely, and AI Max will reward you with wider reach and better efficiency. Ignore them, and you’ll be left wondering why the algorithm is obsessed with irrelevant clicks.

Know When It’s Right (and Not Right) for You

AI Max isn’t for everyone. If you’re managing campaigns for a client who demands perfect results after just two days, it’s probably not the right fit.

It’s designed to expand, not shrink, which means it thrives on experimentation. You have to be comfortable with a few messy days to unlock the real benefits.

In one of our e-commerce tests, the early performance looked concerning – CPCs jumped by 25% and conversions dipped in the first week. But by week three, the conversion rate had doubled, the CPA dropped by almost half, and the campaign uncovered new, previously untouched search themes that now feed into our standard search structure.

AI Max vs. Dynamic Search Ads

Is there a huge difference between AI Max and DSAs? Not really, you could argue. Both rely on your landing page content to expand reach. But AI Max has an edge because it’s more tightly integrated with automation, especially when it comes to bidding and understanding user intent.

While DSAs are slowly being phased out, AI Max feels like Google’s way of keeping that discovery mechanism alive while wrapping it in a smarter decision-making engine.

If you’ve been on the fence about trying it, now’s the time – before it quietly becomes the standard.

A Quick Word on Measurement

AI Max really shines when your measurement is spot-on. If your conversion tracking is messy or incomplete, the algorithm will optimise for the wrong things.

Double-check:

• Your primary conversions are firing accurately and are truly valuable.
• Duplicates (like imported goals or view-throughs) are excluded.
• Your attribution models match your campaign goals.

In our tests, simply removing secondary conversions like “time on site” or “scroll depth” immediately improved the accuracy of our optimization.

Discover why ads in AI agents are the future of PPC in our article “AI to ROI: Why Ads in Copilot are the Next Big Breakthrough for PPC” – read it here!

The Future: Smart Automation

Google’s direction is clear: more automation, more AI, and fewer manual tasks. This doesn’t mean PPC managers are becoming obsolete, it just means our focus is shifting.

When you approach AI Max strategically, it actually enhances human decision-making. It takes care of the heavy lifting like expanding queries and adjusting bids, leaving you free to focus on messaging, campaign structure, and integrating across different channels.

The marketers who will truly succeed in this new era aren’t the ones who fight automation, but the ones who know how to guide it.

Final Thoughts

AI Max isn’t magic. It can be unpredictable, occasionally frustrating, but ultimately, it’s incredibly powerful when you approach it with structure and patience.

If you can master the basics, control what you can, and trust the process, you’re set up for success.

At Can-Do Digital, we currently have AI Max active on about 60% of our accounts. While not every test has been perfect, the wins have definitely outweighed the losses.

Automation will keep evolving, but the core principle remains: AI is only as good as the strategy behind it.

So, if you’re ready to experiment, keep your cool during that first week, and focus on feeding the system clean data – AI Max could easily become one of your most effective tools for driving performance.

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