Google Says AI Max Unlocks Billions of Previously Unmonetized Searches for Ads

During Alphabet's Q2 2026 earnings call, Google SVP Philipp Schindler revealed that AI Max is enabling advertisers to reach billions of searches that were too complex or ambiguous for traditional keyword targeting. Search Engine Land reports that the platform has exited beta with adoption from more than 500,000 advertisers, showing a 15% average lift in conversions at similar ROAS, while Gemini has improved Shopping ad relevance by 20% for complex queries through better understanding of conversational intent.