Google Ads
What Businesses Need to Know Before 2027
As we head towards 2027, Google Ads continues to evolve, with AI and automation playing a bigger role in how campaigns target customers, manage bids and track conversions.
These changes bring new opportunities for businesses, but they also make it important to review campaign settings and ensure advertising strategies are keeping up.
Here are the key Google Ads changes to be aware of before heading into 2027, and what they could mean for your business.
1. AI Max Is Changing Google Search Campaigns
AI Max is Google’s automation feature for Search campaigns. It can expand search targeting beyond your selected keywords, generate additional ad copy and direct users to relevant pages on your website.
New Search campaigns now have AI Max enabled by default. Since September 2026, Google has also been upgrading certain eligible existing campaigns automatically. This includes campaigns using automatically created assets or the campaign-level broad match setting. Dynamic Search Ads are following a separate migration schedule.
What this means for your business: AI Max can help your ads reach a wider range of relevant searches, but it still needs oversight. Review search terms, check automatically generated ad copy and make sure visitors are being directed to appropriate landing pages.
Google also provides controls such as text guidelines and URL exclusions to help advertisers manage how these features are used.
Read more in Google’s AI Max setup guide.
2. Changes to Target CPA and ROAS Bidding
In August 2026, Google changed how target-based bidding works for campaigns marked as limited by budget.
Previously, some campaigns achieved results well beyond their Target CPA or Target ROAS. Under the updated system, these campaigns are expected to perform more consistently towards their specified targets, even when budgets change.
For example, a campaign with a $10 Target CPA that had been achieving a $5 cost per conversion may now deliver results closer to its $10 target.
What this means for your business: Review budget-limited campaigns and compare their performance before and after the change. Make sure your targets reflect what your business can afford and the returns you actually need.
Google recommends allowing one to two conversion cycles after changes before evaluating results.
Read Google’s guide to the target-based bidding changes.
3. Ads Are Appearing in Google's AI Overviews
Google has expanded advertising placements within AI Overviews, its AI-generated summaries in Search results, to Australia.
Eligible text and Shopping ads from Search, Shopping and Performance Max campaigns can appear within these summaries. Advertisers cannot specifically target AI Overview placements or opt out of appearing in them while eligible.
Performance is included in existing reporting, with no separate reporting segment currently available for ads shown within AI Overviews.
What this means for your business: Search advertising is expanding into new ways of presenting information to users. Relevant targeting, strong ad copy and accurate conversion tracking remain important as these placements evolve.
Google’s AI Overviews advertising guide explains eligibility and how these placements work.
4. Dynamic Search Ads Are Being Phased Out
Google is transitioning Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) into AI Max for Search campaigns. The automatic migration, originally planned for September 2026, has been delayed until February 2027.
DSA campaigns use website content to match ads with relevant searches. AI Max builds on this approach with additional targeting and creative controls.
What this means for your business: If you currently use Dynamic Search Ads, review your campaigns and plan the transition ahead of the migration. Checking your targeting, landing pages and ad content will help you maintain control over how your ads appear.
Google has outlined the changes in its Dynamic Search Ads migration announcement.
5. Conversion Tracking Is Becoming More Important
Google’s automated bidding relies on conversion data to understand which clicks are most likely to produce results. For lead generation businesses, this means tracking beyond the initial enquiry can be particularly valuable.
Google supports importing offline conversion data and distinguishing between qualified leads and converted leads. This allows advertisers to provide information about which enquiries progress through the sales process and which ultimately become customers.
Consent settings also affect the advertising data that can be collected and used, making correct tracking and consent configuration important.
What this means for your business: Check that your conversion tracking is accurate and that your campaigns are optimising towards meaningful outcomes. Where possible, connecting CRM or sales data can help Google distinguish between a basic enquiry and a valuable customer.
Explore Google’s guides to qualified and converted leads and enhanced conversions for leads.
6. Other Google Ads Updates Worth Knowing
Several other developments are worth watching as Google continues to expand its advertising tools.
AI-generated creative: Google Ads Asset Studio offers tools to create and edit images, text and video assets using AI. This can help businesses develop additional creative without starting every asset from scratch. See Google’s Asset Studio guide.
More Performance Max visibility: Search term insights, negative keyword controls and channel reporting give advertisers more ways to understand and manage automated campaigns. Reviewing these settings can help identify irrelevant traffic and opportunities for improvement.
Campaign total budgets: Google has introduced additional budgeting options for campaigns running over a defined period. These can be useful for promotions and seasonal campaigns where a total spend needs to be managed across several days or weeks. Check the current options available in your Google Ads account before planning around this feature.
As with other AI-powered tools, availability can vary depending on the campaign, account and rollout stage.
What These Changes Mean for Your Google Ads Strategy
The biggest takeaway from Google’s 2026 updates is that automation is playing a larger role in campaign management. While these tools can help businesses reach new customers and streamline campaign management, they still depend on accurate data, suitable settings and ongoing monitoring.
Businesses should regularly review campaign settings, monitor search terms and generated ad copy, check bidding targets against actual performance, and make sure conversion tracking reflects meaningful business outcomes.
At Ampla Digital, we focus on making automation work towards your business goals rather than relying solely on default settings. Regular monitoring and informed adjustments help keep campaigns aligned with your objectives and advertising budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
AI Max is an automation feature for Google Search campaigns that helps expand search targeting, generate ad copy and select relevant landing pages. It can help businesses reach more potential customers, but search terms and campaign settings should still be reviewed regularly to ensure ads remain relevant.
It is worth reviewing your campaigns to check whether new automation features have been enabled, whether your bidding targets still reflect your business goals, and whether conversion tracking is accurate. Not every campaign needs to change, but regular monitoring can help identify issues and opportunities to improve performance.
Google’s move from Dynamic Search Ads to AI Max is scheduled for automatic migration from February 2027. Google is also continuing to develop AI-powered advertising features and campaign controls. Businesses using Google Ads should keep an eye on upcoming changes and review their campaign settings as new features become available.