Google introduces AI Max match type but industry experts flag concerning network expansion

Google rolled out AI Max match type reporting on July 2, 2025, but industry experts are raising significant concerns about the feature's aggressive expansion onto Search Partner Network placements. According to MarTech, the reporting enhancement enables separate performance analysis for AI Max versus traditional match types, but early testing reveals troubling patterns in automated campaign behavior.

The reporting enhancement arrives amid growing industry alarm about AI Max's problematic expansion behavior. According to data shared by Mike Ryan, Head of Ecommerce Insights at Smarter Ecommerce, campaign analysis reveals AI Max demonstrates "expansionary" patterns on SPN placements that industry professionals find "deeply disturbing."

"Listen this is just anecdotal. It's one campaign. But I find the extent to which AI Max is expansionary on SPN… deeply disturbing," Ryan posted on August 27, 2025. His analysis showed AI Max generating substantial impression volumes across Search Partner sites compared to traditional broad match and exact match targeting, with data charts illustrating the disproportionate SPN allocation.

The AI Max feature, initially announced by Google on May 6, 2025, represents a comprehensive suite of targeting and creative enhancements designed to increase conversions and reach for Search campaigns. According to Google's announcement, the system uses machine learning algorithms to expand keyword targeting beyond traditional parameters while dynamically generating advertisement creatives based on user intent analysis.

Industry professionals express deep skepticism about Google's performance claims despite the company's optimistic projections. According to Ezra Sackett, Director of Paid Search at Monks, independent testing across multiple client accounts reveals that "99% of impressions have 0 conversions" across approximately 30,000 search terms matching with AI Max features. This data contradicts Google's promise of 14% more conversions at similar cost efficiency levels.

The concerning performance patterns extend beyond simple conversion failures. Professional analysis indicates that "less than 1/2 of search terms show they are matched to a keyword," with the majority functioning as keywordless advertisements. This represents a fundamental departure from traditional search advertising principles where keyword relevance directly influences ad delivery and performance measurement.

Mike Ryan's analysis demonstrates the scale of the problem through visual data showing AI Max generating disproportionate impression volumes across Search Partner sites compared to traditional broad match and exact match targeting. His recommendation is direct: "turn off SPN (you should anyway!)" when using AI Max campaigns.

The Search Partner Network context compounds these performance concerns significantly. Industry research from Intelligency Group demonstrates that SPN placements consistently underperform Google Search proper, delivering 37% lower return on ad spend according to their June 2025 analysis. When AI Max aggressively expands into these already problematic placements, the performance degradation becomes even more pronounced.

The problematic expansion occurs despite Google's technical claims about AI Max functionality. The feature operates through three primary mechanisms: search term matching that expands keyword reach using broad match and keywordless technology, text customization that generates headlines and descriptions based on landing pages, and final URL expansion that directs users to optimized website pages rather than advertiser-specified destinations. However, these capabilities appear to drive traffic toward lower-performing network placements rather than high-intent search queries.

Ryan's defense of his analysis acknowledges the fundamental problem with Search Partner Network quality: "The best defense of SPN is that intent is SO low, it doesn't generate clicks and therefore minimal accrued costs. But when your best defense is 'we're so ineffective as to be harmless' there's a problem." This critique becomes more severe when AI Max actively channels campaign budget toward these ineffective placements.

Technical implementation details reveal how advertisers can monitor these concerning patterns, but the damage may already be occurring across campaign portfolios. The feature gained API support through Google Ads API version 21, announced on August 6, 2025, enabling activation through the ai_max_setting.enable_ai_max field within the Campaign object. However, PPC Land's coverage emphasizes that Google positions these features as exclusively advertiser-controlled, potentially shifting responsibility for poor performance outcomes to campaign managers rather than acknowledging systematic issues with the technology.

Industry professionals worry that the new match type reporting, while providing visibility, arrives too late to prevent budget waste across affected campaigns. The AI Max match type designation enables advertisers to segment their Keywords tab by "Search terms match type," but this analysis capability only reveals problems after they occur rather than preventing them. For campaigns already running AI Max, the performance damage from Search Partner Network expansion may represent significant wasted advertising spend.

The concerning expansion patterns become more troubling when viewed alongside Google's broader automation strategy. Early AI Max testing results documented by PPC Land demonstrate significant discrepancies between Google's internal performance claims and real-world advertiser experiences. While Google promotes 14% conversion improvements and 27% uplifts for exact match campaigns, independent testing reveals conversion rates approaching zero across thousands of search terms.

The Search Partner Network context adds complexity to AI Max performance evaluation. Google made significant changes to SPN transparency throughout 2024 and 2025, including full placement reporting that became available in August 2025 for Search, Shopping, and App campaigns.

According to Google's help documentation, "Full placement reporting for the Search Partner Network (SPN) is now available for Search, Shopping, and App campaigns. This highly impactful feature directly addresses advertiser feedback by offering full transparency on where your ads run, including impression data at the site level."

However, industry research suggests SPN placements deliver significantly lower performance compared to Google Search proper. According to data from Intelligency Group published in June 2025, "Google SPN are found to have a 37% lower return on ad spend than its counterpart Google Search ads." The analysis confirmed that Shopping ads on SPN demonstrated this significant drop in ROI across multiple campaigns.

The timing of AI Max's SPN expansion coincides with broader industry concerns about automated campaign transparency. The Adalytics report published in November 2023 accused Google of placing search ads on inappropriate non-Google websites through the Search Partner Network, including sites containing pornographic, sanctioned and pirated content. While Google denied these claims, the controversy prompted significant platform changes throughout 2024.

Mike Ryan's defense of his SPN analysis acknowledges the network's inherent limitations. "The best defense of SPN is that intent is SO low, it doesn't generate clicks and therefore minimal accrued costs," Ryan posted. "But when your best defense is 'we're so ineffective as to be harmless' there's a problem."

The AI Max reporting enhancement enables advertisers to segment their Keywords tab by "Search terms match type" to view performance specifically attributed to AI Max functionality. This granular analysis capability addresses long-standing transparency concerns about automated campaign targeting, particularly as Google continues expanding AI-powered features across its advertising platform.

Industry professionals emphasize the importance of monitoring AI Max performance closely given early testing results. According to PPC Land's analysis of early AI Max results, "Testing data suggests significant discrepancies between promised and actual performance. While Google's internal studies indicate '14% more conversions or conversion value at a similar CPA/ROAS' for general adoption, independent testing reveals different outcomes."

Google introduced precision controls to address transparency concerns within automated advertising systems. Locations of interest enables geographical targeting at the ad group level based on user intent rather than physical location. Negative keyword functionality operates at both campaign and ad group levels, providing traditional control mechanisms within the AI Max framework.

The platform automatically enables brand guidelines for new campaigns, building upon the complete rollout for Performance Max campaigns that concluded in July 2025. The automation ensures consistent brand representation across Google's advertising network while reducing manual configuration requirements for campaign creators.

For advertisers considering AI Max implementation, Google's comprehensive implementation guide provides detailed deployment instructions. The guide emphasizes that campaigns utilizing mostly exact and phrase keywords may experience higher performance uplifts, with typical improvements reaching 27% compared to the standard 14% increase.

The feature represents Google's broader artificial intelligence integration strategy across advertising platforms. According to Google Ads Editor 2.10 coverage on PPC Land, the desktop application update introduced substantial enhancements targeting precision advertising controls and artificial intelligence integration alongside bulk management capabilities.

Performance Max campaigns, which share similar automation principles with AI Max, have demonstrated mixed results according to industry analysis. The automated campaign format now serves over one million advertisers across Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, and Maps properties. However, comprehensive Performance Max feature rollouts completed in 2025 primarily focused on enhanced visibility and control features rather than performance improvements.

The AI Max match type designation enables advertisers to evaluate whether automated targeting improves efficiency or simply increases costs within their specific campaign contexts. This analytical capability becomes particularly valuable given the feature's tendency toward Search Partner Network expansion, where performance metrics traditionally underperform compared to Google Search proper.

For the marketing community, this development represents a critical juncture in automated campaign management. The ability to isolate AI Max performance data allows for more sophisticated campaign optimization strategies while maintaining awareness of potential SPN-related performance impacts.

Google's approach to AI Max reflects broader industry tensions between automation efficiency and advertiser control requirements. By providing match type-level reporting, the platform addresses transparency concerns while maintaining the automated targeting capabilities that define modern search advertising.

The enhanced reporting functionality will be particularly valuable for advertisers managing large account structures requiring detailed performance analysis across multiple campaign types. The granular insights enable strategic decisions about AI Max deployment within specific campaign contexts, portfolio allocations, and budget distribution strategies.

Timeline

• May 6, 2025: Google announces AI Max for Search campaigns with promise of 14% performance improvement
• May 27, 2025: Google Ads AI Max for Search campaigns open beta begins rolling out globally
• July 2, 2025: Google introduces AI Max as distinct match type in search term reports
• July 8, 2025: Google Ads Editor 2.10 released with AI Max support
• August 6, 2025: Google Ads API v21 introduces AI Max technical implementation
• August 7, 2025: Google wraps up Performance Max feature rollouts
• August 19, 2025: Full SPN placement reporting becomes available for Search, Shopping, and App campaigns
• August 27, 2025: Industry professionals flag concerning AI Max expansion patterns on Search Partner Network

Summary

Who: Google Ads platform users, digital marketing professionals, and advertising agencies managing search campaigns with AI Max enabled features.

What: Google introduced AI Max as a distinct match type in campaign reporting while industry experts identified concerning performance patterns related to Search Partner Network expansion.

When: The AI Max match type reporting enhancement was announced on July 2, 2025, with industry analysis of SPN expansion patterns emerging on August 27, 2025.

Where: The changes affect Google Ads Search campaigns globally, with particular impact on Search Partner Network placements across Google's advertising ecosystem.

Why: Google implemented the reporting enhancement to provide greater transparency into AI-powered campaign performance, addressing advertiser demands for visibility into automated targeting results while concerns about SPN performance quality prompted industry scrutiny of the feature's expansion patterns.