Google Ads AI Max and Performance Max explained
Performance Max is a Google Ads campaign type that uses AI to run ads across Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail and Maps from one campaign, based on your goals, assets and audience signals. AI Max for Search is a set of AI features for Search campaigns that expands matching beyond your keywords and tailors ad text and landing pages to each query. Both rely on accurate conversion tracking, strong assets and clear goals, and both need controls such as brand exclusions and regular review of search terms and placements.
What are Performance Max and AI Max?
Google has been moving advertisers from manual controls towards AI-driven campaigns. Performance Max, launched in 2021, uses one campaign to reach people across Google’s inventory, combining your assets into ads and bidding towards your conversion goals. AI Max for Search, introduced by Google in 2025, adds AI features to standard Search campaigns: broader query matching beyond your keywords, automatically tailored ad text and the option to send people to the most relevant page on your site. Details are in the Google Ads Help Center.
Which inputs matter most?
- Accurate conversion tracking: Track the actions that matter, with values where possible, and import offline conversions if sales happen later.
- Clear goals: Choose the right bidding target, such as conversion value or cost per acquisition.
- Strong assets: Varied headlines, descriptions, images, logos and videos.
- Audience signals: Customer lists and website visitors to guide where AI starts.
- Product feed: For e-commerce, a complete, accurate Merchant Center feed.
- Good landing pages: Fast, relevant pages that convert.
What controls do you still have?
- Brand exclusions: Stop ads showing for brands you do not want to target.
- Negative keywords: Exclude irrelevant searches where supported.
- URL rules: Control which pages AI can send people to.
- Asset review: Check which assets perform and remove weak ones.
- Reports and insights: Search term, placement and asset insights.
- Budget and targets: Set spend and efficiency goals.
When should you use each?
Many advertisers run both: Search campaigns with AI Max for high-intent keywords, and Performance Max for broader reach and shopping.
How do you create good assets?
- Write headlines covering different benefits, offers and proof
- Supply images in the required ratios, with the product clear
- Add at least one short video; otherwise Google may create one automatically
- Use real customer language from reviews and support tickets
- Refresh low-performing assets regularly
AI can help draft headline variations; see AI copywriting prompts and workflows.
How should you measure results?
Google’s reports show conversions it attributes to its ads, which can include customers who would have bought anyway, especially from branded searches. Compare with your own sales data, separate branded and non-branded performance where possible, and use conversion lift or geo tests for larger budgets. Our guide to marketing attribution when AI answers take the click covers measurement more broadly.
What should a weekly routine look like?
Spend a short, regular slot on each AI campaign. Check conversions against your own data, review search terms and add negatives, look at asset ratings and replace weak ones, and confirm budgets are pacing as planned. Once a month, review landing pages, audience signals and conversion values, and decide whether to shift budget between campaign types. A steady routine catches problems early without interrupting the AI’s learning with constant changes, and builds a clear record of what works.
What does this look like in practice?
A home services company in Dubai runs Search campaigns with tightly matched keywords and a separate Display campaign. It imports offline conversions for booked jobs, enables AI Max on its main Search campaign with brand exclusions and URL rules, and launches a Performance Max campaign for local reach with real photos and a short video. Weekly reviews of search terms add negatives for irrelevant queries. After the learning period, booked jobs rise at a similar cost per job, with AI Max finding new long-tail searches the team had not targeted.
What mistakes should you avoid?
- Optimising for weak signals such as page views instead of real conversions
- Launching Performance Max without good assets or a feed
- Ignoring search term and placement reports
- Letting branded searches inflate apparent results
- Making frequent large changes during learning
How UIUX Studio helps
We design landing pages that convert paid traffic and set up conversion tracking with engineering teams. Talk to our product design team. For Google Ads strategy and management, Social Mafia by UIUX Studio runs paid search and Performance Max campaigns.
Frequently asked questions
What is Performance Max?
A Google Ads campaign type that uses AI to run ads across all Google channels from one campaign.
What is AI Max for Search?
AI features for Search campaigns that extend matching and tailor text and landing pages.
Should I use Performance Max or Search?
Often both: Search for high intent, Performance Max for broader reach and shopping.
Do I lose control with AI campaigns?
Some, but exclusions, URL rules and reports still give meaningful control.
What matters most for results?
Accurate conversion tracking, strong assets and good landing pages.