Google AI Max Reveals Possibilities for AI-Enabled Hotel Advertising
TLDR: AI has played a role in Google’s advertising platform for years. Recently, Google layered AI Max settings into the platform’s advertising platform, situated in its Smart Bidding tools. Now, hotel marketers have even more automations to play with. They can respond to even broader terms than any keyword sets would allow, bid even more on intent and context, and deliver on voice searches.They can even generate ads for highly specific contexts. Time to take the plunge? Let’s dive deeper.
What Is Google AI Max?
Google AI Max is the latest AI-powered enhancement for Google Ads that dramatically upgrades how Search advertising works by blending advanced machine intelligence with traditional PPC tactics. Rather than relying solely on a fixed list of keywords and manual creative, AI Max uses Google’s AI models to understand searcher intent, context, and relevance, then automatically expands targeting and adapts ad creative to match.
What Hotel Marketers Need to Know About Google AI Max
Just a few months ago, we wrote about Google’s introduction of AI Overview into search results. These have become commonplace in searches, particularly for questions and more complex queries. The platform provides the best answer it can, with additional explanation and citation. AI Max effectively builds on this exchange. As broken down here, its capabilities use Google’s AI model to address these highly specific queries with paid advertising. It happens in a variety of ways, all controlled from the Smart Bidding menu in Google Ads.
AI Max Capabilities Include:
High-intent search bidding based on an advanced understanding of search intent. Now that Google can understand questions and give relevant answers, a hotel’s PPC search ad can respond to highly specific and relevant queries without bidding on a very specific set of rarely searched keywords like “best family hotel near Portland dog friendly”.
AI-generated ads give the platform permission to pull content from your website and create headlines and descriptions automatically. They adapt to respond to searches and attempt to convince customers based on their intent and search history.
URL optimization that chooses where to send paid clicks based on the search. In other words, it may not be to the booking site, but rather, your hotel’s restaurant, events inquiry page, and any other page that Google deems most relevant.
Controls for advertisers on keywords and URLs to exclude, plus reports on commonly searched terms, assets, and landing pages.The Future is AI-Powered: Why Early Adopters Win
Does this matter to your hotel marketing today?
Yes. As users become accustomed to asking Google questions about just about anything, and using voice search on their devices, searches will become more complex and contextual through that natural exchange. Google AI Max gives hotel marketers tools for naturally picking up on these queries and placing your brand in a powerful place to answer them.
How Hotels Should Prepare for Google AI Max
As we discuss in depth in our guide to AI, preparing for generative AI engines is one of the most important steps a hotel marketer can take today. It starts with the website. Google’s generative AI capabilities (and those of ChatGPT and every other engine) learn from the content you post on your website. If it’s clear, helpful, guest-centric, and structured, it has a higher chance of turning up in answers.
And, now that paid placements are in play, great content can earn you direct revenue. Our advice:
- Review your site, page by page. Make sure there’s a clear outcome users can take for every page. For events and parties, is there a form or button to inquire? For spas or restaurants, can they book on the spot? For more informational pages, like general amenities or blog posts and local guides, can they jump right into booking a room if they like what they see? AI platforms could send paid traffic to these types of pages one day!
- Look at on-page structure. Is text clear, helpful, and informational? Can visitors easily find hours of operation, locations, and helpful tips? Google may use text to cobble together ad creative.
- Finally, look at the breadth of your content. Do you capture all aspects of a stay at your hotel? Are there local sites or activities you recommend to guests? Nearby attractions? Tie your content to these things, whether in a “things to do” page or a series of blog posts. This helps AI queries zero in on your hotel as a great option.
Not sure where to start? The marketers at O’Rourke are here to help you jump start your AI strategy. On both the paid ad side and website side, our experts can recommend solutions that maximize growth opportunities for your hotel. Drop us a line to explore it further!
Additional AI Hospitality Resources
- 7 AI Trends in the Hotel Industry Transforming Hospitality
- Is AI Replacing Hotel Search Marketing?
- How Generative AI Is Transforming the Travel Industry
- How Google is Incorporating Ads into AI Search Results
Frequently Asked Questions About Google AI Max
1. Does AI Max replace existing campaign types like Performance Max or Smart Bidding?
No. AI Max does not replace Performance Max or Smart Bidding. It’s an AI layer for Search campaigns that works alongside existing campaign types and automated bidding strategies, not instead of them.
2. How does AI Max differ from traditional keyword-based PPC?
Traditional PPC relies mostly on manually chosen keywords and match types to trigger ads. AI Max uses AI to interpret search intent dynamically, enabling your ads to show for relevant queries that don’t exactly match your keyword list. This can unlock broader reach without sacrificing relevance.
3. Can hotels use AI Max without changing their existing PPC campaigns?
Yes. You can enable AI Max on Search campaigns alongside your current PPC setup. It’s a setting you can turn on in Google Ads, and it will begin using AI features like search term matching and dynamic creative while still respecting your campaign goals and structure.
4. What types of hotels benefit most from AI Max?
Hotels with complex offerings, diverse traveler segments, and nuanced searches (e.g., boutique properties, multi-amenity resorts, or those targeting specific traveler experiences) can especially benefit — because AI Max helps capture long-tail and conversational queries that traditional keyword targeting may miss
5. Will AI Max increase my advertising costs?
AI Max itself doesn’t inherently increase budgets — it uses your existing campaign budget and bidding strategies (like Smart Bidding). However, because AI Max can expand the set of queries your ads are eligible for, it could increase spend if broader reach brings more clicks. Proper conversion tracking and bid controls are key to managing cost and maximizing ROI.