Google said AI Max is opening "billions" of previously unmonetized searches to ads, giving Alphabet a clearer path to expand Search revenue as queries become longer and more conversational.
During Alphabet's Q2 2026 earnings call, Google SVP and Chief Business Officer Philipp Schindler said AI Max is helping the company match ads to searches that were too complex or ambiguous for traditional keyword targeting.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| AI Max status | Out of beta |
| Advertisers adopted | More than 500,000 |
| Average lift using AI Max or PMax | 15% in conversions or conversion value at a similar ROAS |
Google said Gemini has improved the relevance of Shopping ads for complex queries by about 20%.
Gemini can better understand longer, conversational searches, interpret commercial intent, and match those searches with relevant ads.
That is helping Google turn more searches into ad opportunities without relying only on exact keyword matches.
Google is using AI to expand the number of searches that can carry ads, not just improve existing campaigns.
That could create new traffic opportunities, but it also gives advertisers less visibility into how queries are matched.
Google shared new details on how it plans to monetize AI-powered Search experiences:
The announcements show how Google is building ad products around intent, not just keywords.
As Gemini handles more complex searches, advertiser performance may depend more on product feeds, creative assets and landing pages that give Google enough signals to match ads to user needs.
Google's clearest message from the call was that AI Max is not just a campaign feature. It is becoming a way for Google to create more ad inventory inside Search.
Check the conditions on that "15% lift." Google's figure is conversions or conversion value at a similar ROAS — volume growth, not efficiency gain. Separate out whether budget rose alongside it.
Assume new inventory means new spend. "Billions of new monetizable searches" also means more surface to compete on. The same budget may not hold the same position.
Design reporting around lost matching visibility. As query matching gets more opaque, after-the-fact control via search term reports gets harder. Build negative keyword policy up in advance.
Reclassify feeds and landing pages as ad creative. As the article states, performance depends on the signals you give Google, not the keywords you pick — practical guidance in AI Shopping Starts With Your Product Feed.
Validate auto-created assets separately. How AI Max's generated copy actually performs was tested across three accounts in Testing Google Ads AI Max's Automated Ad Copy — results diverged sharply by business type.
Read it against Alphabet's revenue narrative. The same quarter's structure is covered in Google's Ad Revenue Hits $81.6B. AI Max is the concrete mechanism behind the claim that AI is additive to search.
It is out of beta with more than 500,000 advertisers. Google says advertisers using AI Max or Performance Max see an average 15% lift in conversions or conversion value at a similar return on ad spend.
It has improved the relevance of Shopping ads for complex queries by about 20%, better understanding longer conversational searches, interpreting commercial intent and matching them with relevant ads.
Highlighted Answers, which place clearly labeled sponsored links inside AI-generated list responses; contextual sitelinks generated from conversations; and Direct Offers, surfacing promotions during planning journeys, with IHG Hotels & Resorts named as an upcoming partner.
New traffic opportunities come with less visibility into how queries are matched, and performance may depend more on product feeds, creative assets and landing pages than on keyword selection.
To apply what you just read to your own site, start with a free audit of where things are now.
A strategist replies within 24 hours on business days.
A new Enhanced matching option is appearing in Customer Match settings, extending first-party audience reach by matching consented users with consented publisher users.
Google is adding multi-campaign A/B testing, experiments that keep brand and location controls on, and expanded Performance Planner forecasting to AI Max for Search campaigns.
Demand Gen starts where there is no keyword and no existing interest. As that protection disappears, PPC specialists need creative strategy, audience research and full-journey measurement.