Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro

2:36 - ‘Inside Google Ads’ book discussion

4:08 - Why ‘the house always wins’ in Google Ads

6:45 - AI Max vs. Search Max

8:45 - What is AI Max?

9:57 - How transparent is AI Max?

11:34 - Is AI Max just broad match + DSA?

12:59 - Is this the ‘keywordless future’?

15:29 - Final URL Expansion + audience signals

22:20 - Should you test AI Max?

25:07 - Using Broad Match effectively

29:00 - Where Jyll uses Broad Match

31:24 - Key Broad Match advice & guardrails

34:14 - Pairing Broad Match with first-party data

39:00 - Final thoughts & outro

Overview:

In this episode of the Paid Media Lab, we’re joined by PPC expert Jyll Saskin Gales - leading PPC consultant, ex-Google employee, and bestselling author of Inside Google Ads - to discuss the implications of AI Max for Search, and what marketers need to know before diving in.

We cover:

• Why AI Max isn’t a new campaign or match type - it’s a bundle of existing features under one shiny label
• The truth about keyword list targeting and final URL expansion
• How to test AI Max fairly to see if it truly drives incremental performance
• Why many PPC practitioners miss the mark on broad match - and how to give Google the right data so it works for you, not against you

Jyll also shares candid insights on the keywordless future of PPC, whether audience signals really matter, and how creative remains your biggest lever in a world of AI-driven targeting.

If you’re experimenting with AI Max or just want a clearer perspective than the hype or doomscrolling provides, this conversation is unmissable.

Short on time? Read the our written takeaways from the session here.