AI is changing and improving every day and is being introduced into Google Ads in new ways all the time. AI is now built directly into Google’s product line, and it’s not just automation in the background, but tools you can actively use. The three tools that I’m going to focus on include:
- AI Max for Search campaigns
- AI Image generation (Nano Banana)
- AI Video Generation (Google Vids – Veo 3.1).
These tools are allowing advertisers to reach more potential customers and design new creatives with the assistance of AI. It’s crucial to get comfortable with them sooner rather than later, as they become more prevalent.
1. AI Max for Search Campaigns
AI Max for Search is not a new campaign type but a powerful upgrade layer that implements AI into your existing search campaign to help improve performance.
There are three core focuses of AI Max. The first is “keywordless search matching.” What that means is that Google will look at your website, landing pages, and existing ads to understand the intent behind what you offer. It can then show a relevant ad for a search term that a user searches that is not even an existing keyword yet and potentially convert them based on the customer’s intent rather than just matching the keyword. We have found this feature to be the most effective in our trials using AI Max.
The next feature is real-time ad customization. We have seen some good and bad headlines/descriptions created from this feature, and we have recently toggled it off to have more control over the ad copy. We noticed that some of the specific searches that users are typing do not always make great headlines or descriptions.
The last feature is Final URL Expansion, which allows Google to land a user on a different page on your website that it thinks will convert better. We have seen some instances where the AI suggested landing page is better, but not always, and we monitor these closely to see if we need to opt out in certain campaigns.
AI Max for Search is a very powerful tool and can provide cheaper and additional conversions when monitored closely.
2. AI Image Generation with Nano Banana
Nano Banana, Google’s AI image generation tool, is now built into the Google Ads interface. You can use it to generate images that can be utilized across multiple campaigns and in image extensions. It allows you to create visuals based on simple prompts and mass-produce creatives quickly.
Hot tip: We found that asking any AI model, such as ChatGPT or Gemini, for a prompt to input into Nano Banana results in more realistic and compelling imagery.
This tool is very useful when you are trying to fill a creative gap and is a cheap and efficient way to generate fresh creatives for your business.
3. Video Generation with Veo 3.1
Veo 3.1 is Google’s AI Video generation tool. Veo 3.1 will either create videos from scratch with a prompt, or you can animate an image that you are currently utilizing in your marketing efforts to create a video. Veo 3.1 is integrated into Google Ads, but does not give you full control of the video creation when using the tool outside of the interface. I would recommend creating videos outside of Google Ads to have the flexibility to fine-tune your videos.
This tool makes creating video advertisements more easily accessible for businesses that don’t have the time or money to hire an outside creative specialist. The scenes are currently broken up into 8-second clips, and Google recommends a 15-30 second video for a Performance Max or Demand Gen campaign. So, the workaround here is generating multiple 8-second clips to reach the 15-30 second recommendation, then combining them with transitions in Veo, and creating one fluid video.
This tool is still in the early stages and comes with multiple hiccups in the creative process, but it gives advertisers an open door into video creation that can help their business grow. The best thing to do is give the tool as much information as possible in the prompt section. As with Nano Banana, we’ve found that using Gemini or ChatGPT to create the prompt to give to Veo has improved our video quality significantly.
How to Stay Ahead with AI in Google Ads
In the end, AI is evolving and getting better every single day, and is making Google Ads more efficient and giving clients more opportunities to grow their business. Tools like AI Max, Nano Banana, and Veo 3.1 are changing how campaigns are built and optimized. All of these tools are making campaigns more efficient than ever, but they still need a human touch to guide the tools in the right direction.
