Google began a small test serving exact and phrase match Search ads in AI Mode
- Date
- Sep 4, 2026 (first reported)
- Regions
- United States
- Primary source
- Search Engine Roundtable
Standard Search campaigns started showing text ads in AI Mode from exact and phrase match keywords, which had previously been limited to AI Max and Performance Max. Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin confirmed a small experiment and said eligibility is limited to cases with explicit and direct user intent.
Anthony Higman spotted the behavior across multiple campaigns and reported it on LinkedIn; Marvin confirmed it to Search Engine Roundtable. Search Engine Land covered the same experiment on 2026-09-07.
Sources
- open_in_newGoogle Ads Tests Serving Search Ads With Restrictive Match Types In AI ModeSearch Engine Roundtable · Sep 4, 2026
- open_in_newGoogle tests traditional Search campaigns in AI ModeSearch Engine Land · Sep 7, 2026
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