Adapt your Shopping campaigns to modern Search with AI Max.

2026-04-30 · Source: The Keyword · Field: Retail & Consumer Goods — Retail Technology & Operations, Customer Experience & Engagement · Depth: Novice, quick

Summary

Google is launching AI Max for Shopping, a new set of features designed to help retailers using existing Shopping campaigns adapt to conversational search queries. This update utilizes a retailer's Merchant Center feed, including product attributes like fabric softness and material durability, to generate more relevant ad creatives. Key features include text customization for ad copy that directly addresses shopper intent, Final URL Expansion (FUE) to match relevant landing pages to queries, and Optimal Format Selection, which automatically chooses between text or Shopping ad formats. Retailers can upgrade with one click, maintaining existing product targeting and bidding controls, and have the option to disable FUE.

Key takeaway

For marketing professionals managing e-commerce advertising, upgrading your Google Shopping campaigns to AI Max will future-proof your strategy against evolving conversational search trends. This allows your ads to directly address complex shopper queries, improving relevance and potentially conversion rates, while retaining control over targeting and bidding. Consider enabling Final URL Expansion for better landing page alignment, or use Performance Max for broader cross-channel reach.

Key insights

AI Max for Shopping enhances retail ad campaigns by leveraging product feed data for conversational search.

Principles

• Match ad creatives to conversational queries
• Utilize detailed product attributes for context

Method

AI Max for Shopping uses Merchant Center feed data to generate customized ad copy, select optimal landing pages via FUE, and choose the best ad format (text or Shopping ad) based on shopper intent.

In practice

• Upgrade existing Shopping campaigns to AI Max
• Leverage FUE for relevant landing page matching
• Consider Performance Max for cross-channel ads

Topics

• AI Max for Shopping
• Conversational Search
• Merchant Center Feed
• Ad Copy Customization
• Final URL Expansion

Best for: AI Product Manager, Product Manager, Entrepreneur, Marketing Professional, Consultant

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by The Keyword.