We round up three pivotal updates you won’t want to miss—from high-impact ad tools to AI increasingly reshaping search behaviour. Sunday Rundown #135 covers everything from new announcements at Google Marketing Live to how AI is changing consumer search habits and what “AI Max for Search” can do for your campaigns.
Google Marketing Live 2025: Ad Innovations & AI-Powered Features
At Google Marketing Live in May 2025, the keynote drove home a powerful message: AI is at the centre of tomorrow’s marketing capabilities. Furthermore, brands were shown the next generation of AI-native campaign structures, smarter ad formats, and deeper audience insights designed to make ads feel less like interruptions and more like helpful discovery moments.
Bonus recap posts emphasise that Google and YouTube remain central to the purchase journey—83% of users engage daily, and 65% turn to these platforms first when making a buying decision.
AI Is Reshaping Consumer Search Behaviour — and Your Strategy Should Follow
Google’s study reveals AI has fundamentally transformed how people search—now spanning visual, voice, and generative tools like AI Overviews. Specifically, brand leaders who embrace AI insights reported 60% higher revenue growth and adapt twice as fast as competitors.
Traditional search behaviours are giving way to more seamless experiences: AI agents, answers instead of links, and multimodal queries are the new norm. So, the future of search isn’t coming—it’s already here.
Meet AI Max for Search Campaigns: Google’s Smart Search Upgrade
Google’s AI Max for Search transforms Search campaigns by layering in AI-driven targeting and asset optimisation, without losing control. Here’s how it works:
- Expanded query matching goes beyond keywords to capture high-intent, unexpected searches.
- Dynamic asset optimisation refines headlines and descriptions in real time based on user intent.
- Smart landing page routing (Final URL expansion) ensures users reach the most relevant page for their query.
In detail, early adopters like L’Oréal saw a 2× higher conversion rate at 31% lower cost-per-conversion, and MyConnect, an Australian services company, drove 16% more leads at 13% lower cost-per-action, with a 30% increase from net-new queries.
Bonus Links
- Instagram Advice: How Switching Content Approaches Impacts Performance
- Study: Google Says AI Search Delivers Quality Clicks Despite Traffic Loss
- Meta Gains DPC Approval for Training AI on EU User Data
Thanks for reading Sunday Rundown #135—we’ll be back in two weeks with more insights to elevate your marketing game!