Google’s latest shiny thing, AI Max, promises a boost in conversions and an easier life for advertisers. It claims to use cutting-edge machine learning to expand targeting, write smarter ads, and automatically send users to the most relevant pages. Sounds great on paper. But we’ve been here before.
For years, Google has told us that broad match has changed. It went away, did some “soul searching”, and came back promising it’s a new keyword match — no longer the wildcard that invites the whole bar back to your flat at 3am on a Saturday. Yet, time and time again, it’s still the same story: huge reach, huge spend, and huge volumes of absolute rubbish leads (especially for lead gen businesses).
Now, Google wants us to believe that AI Max, broad match’s smarter cousin from the big city, is different. We’re not so sure.
How AI Max Works
Think of a traditional Google Search campaign like driving a car. You pick the route, the speed, and the destination. You choose your keywords, craft your ads, and decide exactly where traffic lands.
AI Max, on the other hand, is a self-driving car with a slightly overconfident GPS. You tell it roughly where you want to go, and it takes the wheel. It uses broad match and “keywordless” targeting to find new searches, rewrites your ad copy using your site content, and even chooses the landing page for each query.
In theory, it should make campaigns smarter and more adaptive. In reality, it can feel like handing your wallet to Google and hoping it spends wisely.
The Trade-Off: Control vs Chaos
AI Max is designed to remove friction, but in doing so, it also removes your control.
What you lose:
Keyword precision: It targets queries beyond what you’ve chosen, often stretching “relevance” to breaking point.
Creative control: AI writes its own ad copy. Sometimes it’s clever, sometimes it’s chaos.
Landing page selection: It picks where to send users, which can backfire if your site isn’t tightly structured.
What you gain (in theory):
New reach: It might uncover new audiences and long-tail searches.
Automated testing: It constantly experiments to find combinations that perform.
Enhanced reporting: You can see where AI made decisions — though that doesn’t mean you’ll agree with them.
When AI Max Might Be Worth a Test
We’re not saying never test it. Just know what you’re getting into. AI Max might make sense if:
You’ve already maxed out your current campaigns and are looking for extra reach.
You’ve got a strong website with clearly defined pages and good conversion tracking.
You’ve got time (and budget) to let it learn.
In these cases, AI Max can work as an experimental layer, not your core strategy.
When to Stick With Regular Search
If your business relies on qualified leads, brand control, or a tight budget, AI Max is not your friend. Stay with traditional Search campaigns if:
You need precision and predictable ROI.
You’re in a regulated industry or use carefully approved messaging.
You’ve already been burned by broad match before (and who hasn’t?).
Regular Search gives you what AI Max can’t — control, consistency, and clear intent.
Our Take on AI Max
AI Max is broad match with better marketing. It’s not evil, but it’s not magic either.
At Empire9, we’ve tested enough “game-changing” automation to know that shiny new tools often need guardrails. For lead generation especially, it’s a fast way to fill your CRM with noise. So tread carefully. Test small, track everything, and don’t hand over the keys just because Google says it’ll drive better than you can.
Need help sorting hype from reality?
We can help you find the balance between automation and control, and keep your budget working where it counts.
