If you run Google Ads, there’s a change happening this month that you should know about. Google is retiring Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) and moving everyone over to something called AI Max for Search.
Google announced it back in April. This month, it stops letting anyone create new DSA campaigns and starts upgrading the remaining ones automatically. If you haven’t done anything yet, Google is about to do it for you.
Here’s what it all means, without the jargon.
Quick refresher: what were Dynamic Search Ads?
Normal search ads work off keywords you choose. Dynamic Search Ads flipped that around: Google looked at your website and decided which searches to show your ads for, then wrote the headline based on your page.
They were handy for businesses with lots of products or pages, and for catching searches you hadn’t thought of. They could also waste money on irrelevant stuff if no one kept an eye on them.
What is AI Max?
AI Max is Google’s newer version of the same idea, built into regular search campaigns. You switch it on and Google can:
- Show your ads for searches beyond your keywords (Google calls this “search term matching”)
- Rewrite your ad text to match what someone searched for
- Send people to different pages on your website than the one you picked, if it thinks they’re a better match
Google says advertisers see more conversions with it on. Independent tests have been more mixed. Some accounts do well, others pay for a lot of extra junk.
What’s changing this month
- Google stops creating new DSA campaigns in September.
- Remaining DSA campaigns get upgraded to AI Max automatically, with the new features switched on by default.
- A couple of other older settings, like automatically created assets and the campaign-level broad match setting, get folded into AI Max too.
Why I’d rather you do it yourself
When Google upgrades you automatically, you get Google’s default settings. Google’s defaults are generally designed to spend more and reach wider. That’s not always what a small business wants.
If you migrate yourself, you get to choose which features to turn on, which pages Google can send people to and which brands or terms to exclude.
What to check in your account
- Do you have any DSA campaigns? Look for campaigns or ad groups marked “dynamic.” If there are none, this change barely affects you.
- Decide on URL expansion. Letting Google pick landing pages can send people to your careers page or an old blog post. Limit it to the pages you’re happy with, or exclude the ones you’re not.
- Check your text customisation. Google writing your ads on the fly is fine for some businesses. If you’re in a regulated industry like health, finance or legal, be careful. Your ads still have to meet the rules.
- Watch your search terms closely for the first few weeks after the switch. Add negative keywords for anything irrelevant.
- Compare performance properly. Look at cost per lead and lead quality, not just conversion numbers. More conversions isn’t better if they’re the wrong ones.
Should you use AI Max at all?
For some accounts, yes. If you’ve got solid conversion tracking, a decent budget and a website with lots of relevant pages, it can find extra customers you’d otherwise miss.
For a small local business with a tight budget, I usually start conservatively and switch features on one at a time, watching the results. The aim is more good leads, not just more clicks.
Need a hand?
If your account has DSA campaigns and you’re not sure what the upgrade will do, now’s the time to look. I can review your setup and make the switch on your terms. Check out my Google Ads management or get in touch and I’ll put together a quote.
