Think about the last thing you typed into Google. It probably wasn’t two words. In fact, it was probably a hyper-specific sentence you’d feel slightly embarrassed to read out loud.
You can thank conversational AI for that. Tools like ChatGPT and Claude taught us that adding more context gets better answers, and we brought that habit right back to Google. We first covered this move towards conversational search terms last year when it was just an organic search trend, but today it is affecting paid search ads as well.
An analysis published by Search Engine Land found that one- and two-word queries plunged from 42% of Google Ads impressions down to 24% between January 2025 and August 2026. Over that same stretch, mid-length queries rose to nearly half of all ad views, and the share of conversions from 5–6 word searches tripled. People are moving away from generic searches and taking action on specific questions.
Sticking with the old playbook of short, generic terms is getting harder. You might already see it in your account: fewer clicks and search terms you don’t recognize.
In this post, we’ll cover what is changing in your account, why Google’s recent AI rollout makes this urgent, and how to adapt your campaigns without blowing your budget.
Why Are My Google Ads Getting Fewer Clicks?
First, the not-so-great news: ads are getting clicked less often. In data published by Search Engine Land, ad click-through rates fell across every search length in the first half of 2025. Short, simple keywords took the biggest hit, with click-through rates dropping by about half.
But there’s an upside. Think of Google’s AI Overviews as a filter. When someone just wants a quick answer, the AI summary gives it to them on the spot, and they move on without clicking anything. Many casual browsers get filtered out before they ever cost you a click.
The people who still click your ad are more likely to be doing real research. Whether they’re comparing college programs, vetting B2B software, looking for a local nonprofit to support, or getting ready to buy, they tend to be closer to a decision. You may get fewer visits overall, but the people who arrive are often more ready to act.
The tricky part is how you pay to reach those high intent searchers. Most campaigns use a setting called broad match, which lets Google decide which searches are close enough to your keyword to show your ad, even ones that don’t share its exact meaning. Google has to guess what each person means, and it doesn’t always guess right. For example, a food bank bidding on “donate to food bank” could show up for “food bank near me,” reaching people looking for help instead of people looking to give.
How Long Should Your Google Ads Keywords Be?
With searches getting longer, the easy takeaway is “bid on longer phrases.” That’s only half right though. Nobody can build a keyword list around every 12-word question someone might type, and many of those exact searches only happen a handful of times.
Take a dance studio. “Dance classes” is usually too broad to be worth paying for. “Where can I take a beginner ballet class as an adult who’s never danced before?” is a great question, but almost nobody types it exactly that way. “Adult beginner ballet classes” sits in the sweet spot: specific enough to show real intent, and common enough to bid on.
So aim for the middle: clear intent, with enough search volume to matter. Build your keywords around those mid-length phrases, and let broad match reach the longer variations, as long as you keep an eye on what it matches. And don’t drop your best short terms, like your organization’s name. People searching for you by name already know who you are, which makes them some of your warmest leads.
What Is Google AI Max?
AI Max is a newer setting for Google Search campaigns that uses your keywords as a starting point, then lets Google’s AI decide which searches to show your ads on and write parts of your ads for you. If broad match is Google guessing what your keyword means, AI Max gives it even more room to guess.
You might already be using it without realizing it. Starting September 1, Google began automatically switching some Search campaigns to AI Max. That mainly affects campaigns that already had certain automated settings turned on, like broad match across the whole campaign or ad text that Google writes for you. Dynamic Search Ads, which build ads from the content on your website, are scheduled to switch over in February 2027.
To see if your account was switched, check your campaign settings or ask whoever manages your Google Ads. If you only run regular keyword campaigns, you likely weren’t affected. If you were switched, your ads may now be showing up on searches they didn’t before. Your search terms report, which lists the exact searches that triggered your ads, will show you what changed.
So what does this mean going forward? You have less control over exactly which searches trigger your ads, so your job shifts from picking keywords to steering Google in the right direction. Start by defining what counts as a conversion, the action that means an ad actually worked. Take a college nursing program, for example. A conversion should be a completed application, not just a page visit.
Then keep an eye on your search terms report. When Google’s guesses miss, like showing your nursing program ad for “nursing home” or “nursing bras,” add those words as negative keywords so your ads stop showing for them. The clearer you are, the better your results.
How to Update Your Google Ads for AI Max
All of this can feel like a lot, especially if Google changed your campaigns without asking. Luckily, you don’t need to rebuild your account from scratch. Start here:
- Check whether AI Max is on. In Google Ads, go to Campaigns, open the Settings tab, and look for the AI Max section in each Search campaign. It’s also worth checking any campaigns you’ve created recently, since new Search campaigns have AI Max turned on by default.
- Make sure your conversions count. Before you decide anything, confirm Google is tracking the actions that actually matter, like applications, registrations, or donations, rather than page visits. AI Max chases whatever you tell it success looks like.
- Decide whether to keep AI Max on. Keep it on if your conversion tracking is solid and you have room in your budget to let Google find new searches. Turn it off if your budget is tight or your tracking needs work. To switch it off, use the toggle in the AI Max section of your campaign settings. You can always turn it back on later. A middle ground is running one campaign with AI Max and one without, then comparing results after a few weeks.
- Review your search terms and ad text weekly. For the first month, check your search terms report once a week. When you spot searches that don’t fit, add them as negative keywords. While you’re at it, read through any ad text Google wrote for you. Make sure it’s accurate (no incorrect dates or prices, or programs you don’t actually offer) and remove anything that’s off.
- Sort your search terms by length. Download your search terms report as a spreadsheet and add a column for how many words each search has. Then compare which lengths bring in the most conversions. If longer searches are winning, shift more of your keywords toward specific, mid-length phrases.
- Send people to the right page. In your search terms report, look for searches that get lots of clicks but few conversions, then check which page those ads send people to. Someone searching “adult beginner ballet classes” should land on your adult classes page, not your general class schedule full of every style and level. If you don’t have a page that fits, that’s a sign you probably need one. When people find exactly what they searched for, they’re more likely to sign up instead of clicking away.
- Track conversions, not clicks. Each month, start your report with conversions (the wins you defined in step 2) and cost per conversion, or how much you spend on average to get one. You can add both as columns in Google Ads. Clicks can drop while conversions hold steady or improve, and that’s a good sign. If your cost per conversion is climbing, go back to your search terms and AI Max settings to find what’s wasting money. If it’s improving, put more budget toward the campaigns and searches that are working.
Does SEO Help Your Google Ads?
It’s tempting to treat all of this as an ads problem, but what happens in your organic search results can affect your ads, too. When Google shows an AI Overview, it often links to a few websites as sources. A recent study from Seer Interactive found that in 2025, when a brand was one of those sources, about 16% of people who saw its ad clicked it. When it wasn’t, only about 11% did. It’s not proof that one causes the other, but it’s a pattern worth paying attention to.
Here’s why that might happen. Say someone searches “fun things to do with kids on a rainy day.” Google’s AI answer mentions your museum, and your ad shows up on the same page. Seeing your name twice makes you feel familiar, so they’re more likely to click. (Well-known brands are also more likely to get cited in the first place, but the pattern is hard to ignore.)
The good news is that getting cited takes the same work we’ve always recommended: clear, helpful content that answers the questions your audience is actually asking. We break down how to do that in our guide to showing up in AI search. When your website and your ads tell the same story, both work harder.
New Search Habits, Same Goal
People are searching with longer, more detailed questions, and Google Ads is evolving to keep up. But that doesn’t mean you need to overcomplicate your account. Target clear intent, put sensible guardrails on Google’s automation, and measure real leads instead of empty clicks. The core job hasn’t changed: understand what someone is actually trying to solve and show up with the best answer.
Not sure how your search terms have shifted, or whether the recent AI updates changed your campaigns? Reach out and let’s talk.