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Issue #3: Google’s “AI Max” promising 14% more conversions

The fastest way for digital marketing pros to look smart in the weekly stand-up

May 09, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

☕ Good morning digital disruptor

Pour a fresh coffee, here’s this week’s key news in under two minutes.

🗞️ Top Stories

  1. Instagram Threads starts testing in-feed video ads
    Meta is letting a small group of brands run 1:1 and 16:9 creatives between posts just weeks after opening static ads to all advertisers. TechCrunch

  2. DOJ asks court to force Google to divest AdX and DFP
    Proposed remedy after April’s monopoly ruling would break up the core adtech stack, with Google calling the plan “costly and harmful”. The Verge

  3. OpenX strikes biddable CTV partnership with Tubi UK
    Buyers can now access Tubi inventory via OpenX, giving buyers access to more premium, transparent CTV inventory. Business Wire

  4. Snap unveils AI-powered advertiser solutions
    New Sponsored Snap formats plus Smart Bidding and Smart Budget tools promise CPA optimisation for brands on Snapchat. Marketing Dive

  5. Google rolls out “AI Max” power-up for Search campaigns
    Enhanced product suite bundling broad match, keyword-free targeting, AI generated assets and brand controls that Google says can lift conversions by 14%. Google Ads & Commerce Blog

💭 60-Second Take - why Google AI Max matters

Search marketers already juggle broad match, keyword-free targeting and automatically generated creative assets but each is a stand alone feature. AI Max bundles them into a single product that promises 14% more conversions, with up to 27% for keyword heavy accounts, without raising CPA. Why care?

  1. Early tests show significant performance lifts at flat cost

  2. Frictionless, one-click adoption makes this advanced automation easy to test

  3. Precision targeting incorporated through brand and location controls

  4. Campaigns using AI Max will likely surface more often as search generative experience (SGE) reshapes SERPs

  5. Increased automation shifting agency role and responsibility towards areas such as data strategy and creative

This is a clear signal from Google towards fully automated, SGE-era search advertising. Early adopters will learn how Google’s AI is evolving before it becomes the default, putting them a step ahead of the competition as manual campaing management continues to decline.

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See you next time,

Access Adtech