In 2025, the search marketing landscape is evolving rapidly. With AI-driven behaviour, visual and voice search inputs, and non-linear customer journeys, traditional keyword-centric strategies are no longer enough. Enter Google’s most powerful combination to date: Power Pairing (Broad Match + Performance Max) and AI Max for Search Campaigns. Together, they’re not just improving search performance — they’re transforming it. But what does this mean for you, and how can you best harness these new updates to promote your business?

Why Search Needs to Evolve: Meeting Human Curiosity at Scale

Consumers no longer search in predictable ways. They use AI Overviews, voice commands, image search and increasingly complex multi-word queries. With over 5 trillion searches annually, and 15% being entirely new each day, the scale of intent-based search is far beyond what manual methods can handle. As 71% of consumers expect personalised experiences — and 77% become frustrated when they don’t get them — delivering relevance at scale is now essential.

Enter Power Pairing: Search + Performance Max

The Power Pair strategy combines Broad Match keywords with Smart Bidding on Search campaigns, and extends performance across Google’s full network with Performance Max. The impact is significant:

• +35% more conversions by switching from Exact Match to Broad Match (using tCPA)
• +27% more conversions with Performance Max compared to Search-only campaigns

This approach enables us to:

• Maximise keyword coverage and intent signals
• Activate ads across all Google properties (YouTube, Gmail, Display, Discover, Search and Shopping)
• Engage high-intent audiences and expand reach efficiently
• Unlock results from channels or queries you might not have otherwise considered

We’ve seen this approach help our clients unlock incremental leads from channels they weren’t actively targeting, as well as deliver conversion volume through new, unexpected high-intent queries.

AI Max for Search Campaigns: Precision at Every Touchpoint

AI Max enhances existing Search campaigns with three AI-powered features:

1. Search Term Matching: Goes beyond traditional keywords, using your website, ad assets, and user signals to match ads based on true intent.
2. Automatically Created Assets (ACA): Generates bespoke headlines and descriptions tailored to each searcher’s query, improving ad relevance.
3. Final URL Expansion: Automatically selects the most relevant landing page for each search — improving the user experience and boosting conversions.

Advertisers using AI Max typically see:

• +14–27% uplift in conversions or conversion value at similar CPA/ROAS
• More eligible auction participation, lower CPCs, and higher click-through and conversion rates

AI Max also comes with robust reporting — allowing us to monitor asset performance, search queries, and URL-level impact with full transparency.

Our Testing Approach

We understand that the pace of change in search marketing — especially with the rollout of AI-powered tools — can feel overwhelming. For many of our clients, it's no longer just about managing keywords and budgets, but about navigating dynamic, intent-driven systems that operate across multiple platforms and user behaviours. These are the actionable steps we are testing out:

• Adopt Broad Match with Smart Bidding: It’s no longer just about capturing exact queries. Broad Match, paired with tCPA or tROAS bidding, enables you to capture high-intent traffic you might otherwise miss — with the added safety net of brand restrictions and negative keywords where needed.
• Integrate Performance Max: This isn’t just about more impressions. Performance Max allows us to unlock growth across YouTube, Gmail, Discover, and Shopping — especially for clients seeking omnichannel performance or new customer acquisition.
• Enable AI Max Settings in Search Campaigns: Turn on Search Term Matching, Final URL Expansion, and Automatically Created Assets to dynamically match user intent and personalise your ads and landing pages at scale.
• Ensure Enhanced Conversions and Data-Driven Attribution: Feeding the machine accurate, rich conversion data is essential. We help ensure that measurement is properly configured so optimisation is aligned to your true business goals.
• Review and Improve Landing Pages: With landing page content now influencing targeting and ad copy, your website needs to do more than just convert — it must clearly signal relevance and value to Google’s systems. We support clients with this as part of campaign setup and optimisation.

In other words, Google’s latest capabilities demand a shift in how we approach search marketing. It’s no longer about managing keywords in isolation — it’s about combining automation, intent signals, and creative flexibility to meet users wherever they are.

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