Google AI Max: New branded search controls
Advertisers using Google Ads automated campaigns may soon gain more control over brand queries. Some accounts are reportedly seeing a new "Branded Searches" setting inside AI Max campaigns. It is meant to define whether ads serve on brand-related searches—a topic that has sparked debate since AI Max launched.
What Google appears to be testing
According to early interface sightings, the control offers three modes: ads on all relevant searches (default), managed brand handling via inclusions and exclusions, or unbranded searches only. That puts a core question front and center: should AI Max capture brand traffic that teams already cover in dedicated brand campaigns?
The "unbranded only" option stands out. It could help advertisers steer AI Max toward prospecting and net-new demand instead of paying again for existing brand demand. Whether this is a broad rollout, a beta, or an account-level experiment remains unclear.
The three options in detail
The default "all relevant searches" mode matches classic automated behavior: the system largely decides which queries fit. The middle option ties brand inclusions and exclusions directly to campaign logic—useful for accounts with defined brand lists but still dependent on list maintenance. The third variant targets pure non-brand expansion and would be the biggest strategic lever for many performance setups if it works reliably and measurably.
Why brand vs. non-brand separation still matters
Criticism of AI Max often focuses on overlap with brand campaigns. When automated systems serve brand queries, three risks typically rise: higher costs for traffic that would likely convert anyway, blurred attribution across campaign types, and harder measurement of incremental impact. There is also growing concern that AI Max competes with classic brand search activity.
- More CPC pressure on already strong brand queries
- Duplicate delivery across parallel campaign structures
- Harder evaluation of true incremental reach
- More complex reporting and budget logic in the account
For SEO and SEM teams, separating brand and non-brand is not just accounting. It shapes how performance reports are read, which keywords are treated as growth levers, and whether paid search is seen as complementing or replacing organic visibility.
In management steering meetings, a clear split also makes budget decisions easier to explain: brand protects margin and visibility, non-brand delivers growth signals. Without that logic, AI Max curves often look more aggressive than the strategy intends.
From workaround to native campaign control
Until now, advertisers who wanted to keep AI Max off brand queries relied mainly on brand exclusion lists. That works but requires maintenance, alignment with other campaigns, and ongoing checks that exclusions hold. A native campaign-level setting would be operationally simpler and could clarify how AI Max interprets brand intent.
In accounts with many automated campaign types—Performance Max, Demand Gen, AI Max—clear governance rules are essential. Without solid brand logic, budget shifts can look like organic growth or efficient scaling in dashboards while actually buying existing demand at a premium.
Practical impact on account structure
A reliable "unbranded only" option would simplify planning: brand campaigns protect visibility on brand terms, while AI Max focuses on expansion. Query reality stays dynamic—spellings, modifiers, and contextual variants can create edge cases. Teams should therefore keep search term reports, negative lists, and regular brand reviews even with native controls.
Context in the shift toward more AI control
Google keeps expanding automated campaigns but increasingly responds to demands for influence and transparency. The possible branded search control fits that pattern: more automation plus levers for advertisers who do not want brand traffic shared unchecked. For the industry, it signals that cannibalization and attribution concerns are being addressed—at least in product development.
It also remains relevant how AI-powered search surfaces and campaign logic evolve overall. Teams that combine paid and organic should view brand controls in the wider picture of SERP features, AI Overviews, and classic text ads.
For agencies managing multiple clients, native brand control could reduce bespoke workarounds in playbooks. A shared standard becomes feasible: brand campaigns protect, AI Max prospects, and Performance Max or Demand Gen follow their own governance rules. That lowers handover errors and makes quarterly reviews more comparable.
What teams should watch now
Until an official launch is confirmed, structured monitoring pays off: check AI Max campaigns regularly for new settings, document changes, and compare performance before and after adjustments. Accounts that get "unbranded only" should run tests with clear KPIs—such as incremental conversions, non-brand CPA, and brand impression share in parallel campaigns.
- Check campaign settings weekly for new controls
- Evaluate brand and non-brand reports separately
- Avoid conflicting exclusion lists and native settings
- Follow Google announcements and changelog communication
The first public sighting was shared by paid search specialist Thomas Eccel on LinkedIn. Such early interface signals are valuable but do not replace binding product communication from Google. Teams acting now should treat changes as tests and plan rollbacks until it is clear whether the control becomes globally available.
