21/05/2026
🚨 I recently audited a Google Ads account where the client had been advised by Google to switch to AI Max campaigns 🤖📈
On the surface, it sounded like the “smart next step” for performance…
But there was one BIG problem 👇
The account wasn’t even appearing in enough auctions to begin with ❌
The client had a limited budget 💸 and low impression share 📉, meaning they were already missing a huge percentage of relevant searches.
So instead of fixing the REAL issue — visibility, targeting, and budget allocation 🎯 — they were pushed toward more automation that simply widened targeting and increased spend.
Here’s what Google didn’t explain 👀
AI Max is far more effective when an account already has:
✅ Strong search coverage
✅ Healthy impression share
✅ Consistent conversion data
✅ Enough volume for the algorithm to learn properly
Without that foundation, the recommendation mainly benefited Google’s revenue 💰… not the client’s profitability.
This is why blindly accepting Google recommendations can be dangerous ⚠️
AI and automation can absolutely improve performance 🚀
But only when the fundamentals are already in place.
Otherwise, you’re just handing over control and hoping for the best 🤷♂️
As Google Ads specialists, our job isn’t to blindly follow recommendations.
It’s to know:
👉 WHEN automation makes sense
👉 WHEN it doesn’t
👉 And how to protect client budgets while still driving growth 📊
