By Jonathan Riedel
When performance drops, it’s tempting to blame Google or new AI features like AI Overviews. And yes — AI summaries can absorb some organic and paid clicks by satisfying quick queries directly in the SERP.
But that’s only one part of a larger picture. In reality, lagging PPC results can arise from a variety of overlapping causes — some technical, some operational, and some cyclical.
1. AI Overviews and Shifting User Behavior
Google’s AI Overviews (previously called SGE — Search Generative Experience) change how users interact with search results. Users see AI-summarized answers that may reduce click-through rates for both ads and organic listings.
Industries most affected include those with informational intent queries — like healthcare, finance, education, and travel — where AI snippets often answer top-funnel questions directly.
That said, transactional intent (like “schedule HVAC repair near me”) still drives plenty of ad clicks — especially when campaigns are designed to adapt to these changes using broader match signals and AI Max targeting.
2. Backend Business Changes
Sometimes, the issue isn’t with Google at all. Performance can appear to drop when internal operations shift. Examples include:
- Website or conversion tracking changes: A broken form, missing tag, or slow landing page can tank conversions overnight.
- Pricing or service changes: If your pricing increased or a competitor started offering discounts, your conversion rate may naturally fall.
- Inventory or scheduling issues: A full calendar or low stock can disrupt ad relevance or conversion rates even when ad traffic remains steady.
- CRM handoffs: When leads aren’t followed up on quickly, ads may generate the same number of leads but fewer closed sales.
A smart agency (like PositiveDigitalFootprint.com) doesn’t just look at Google Ads — it examines the entire funnel, from click to lead to sale, before diagnosing the problem.
3. Seasonal and Cyclical Variations
Many verticals follow predictable seasonal patterns. Roofing, HVAC, tax prep, and retail all experience fluctuating demand. Even B2B and healthcare sectors see quarterly cycles.
If your reporting window doesn’t account for seasonality, you might assume performance is declining — when in reality, you’re just in a down month.
Analyzing year-over-year data, not just month-over-month, helps clarify whether a decline is systemic or seasonal.
4. Increased Competition and Auction Volatility
New entrants (or competitors increasing budgets) can dramatically change auction dynamics.
You might see:
- Higher CPCs due to more aggressive bidding.
- Lower impression share as new advertisers compete for limited search volume.
- Ad rank shifts caused by competitors improving ad relevance or landing pages.
These factors reduce your visibility — even if your campaigns are technically well-optimized.
That’s where broader match strategies and AI Max come in: they help you expand reach beyond your existing auction pool and tap into fresh intent signals competitors may not yet be targeting.
The Evolving Search Landscape: Enter AI Overviews
Google’s AI Overviews use generative AI to summarize search results directly on the page.
Example: A user searches “how to fix a leaky sink.” Google’s AI Overview might display a detailed step-by-step guide — meaning the user never scrolls to see the ads.
For some industries, this shift can feel like a traffic siphon. But it’s not all bad news.
AI Overviews also open up new ad inventory in certain placements (called AI Mode or Overview Ads) — available only to campaigns using broad match or AI Max.
In other words, if you’re still running exact-only keyword strategies, you’re excluded from this emerging traffic source.
Broad Match and AI Max: The New Growth Engine
What Is Broad Match?
Broad match is the most flexible keyword type in Google Ads. It allows your ads to show for related searches, synonyms, and contextually relevant queries — not just exact matches.
Example: The keyword roof repair company could trigger searches like “emergency roof leak help,” “local roof patch,” or “fix shingles in winter.”
Broad match opens doors to new customer language and intent patterns that strict match types can’t reach.
Google’s own data suggests that when combined with Smart Bidding, broad match can deliver up to 20–30% more conversions at a similar CPA.
What Is AI Max?
AI Max is a new Search feature that combines broad match with Google’s AI-driven intent modeling. It allows campaigns to match to queries even when users don’t use your exact keywords — leveraging landing-page content, ad copy, and behavioral signals.
It’s essentially Google’s version of AI-powered expansion for Search campaigns — similar in philosophy to Performance Max, but focused on Search inventory.
By enabling AI Max, advertisers unlock:
- Access to new “AI Overview” ad surfaces
- Keywordless query matching
- Smarter audience and location matching
- Real-time intent prediction based on user context
Combined with broad match, AI Max helps campaigns regain reach and relevance in a fragmented, AI-driven search ecosystem.
How Broad Match + AI Max Counter AI Overview Challenges
When AI Overviews reduce visibility for traditional ads, broad match and AI Max restore it by finding adjacent intent.
Imagine a roofing contractor in Utah noticing a 15% drop in clicks after AI Overviews launched. Instead of bidding harder on the same few keywords, they test a broad + AI Max campaign targeting related search behavior — like:
- “how to know if I need roof replacement”
- “why are my shingles curling”
- “hail damage insurance roof claim”
These queries may not have triggered under phrase or exact match, yet they carry real commercial intent.
Broad match + AI Max reads user context, matches it to your landing page and ad content, and shows your ad before or within AI Overview results — re-capturing lost attention.
Diagnosing Whether You’re Ready for Broad Match + AI Max
Before enabling these features, you should confirm your foundation is solid.
Check Your Data and Conversions
Broad match and AI Max rely on machine learning — which needs accurate, consistent conversion data.
If your tracking is broken or your conversion volume too low, Google’s automation will struggle.
✔ Verify your tracking setup (Google Tag Manager, GA4, form events, phone calls, etc.).
✔ Import offline conversions if possible (sales, appointments).
✔ Ensure attribution models align with business goals.
Assess Budget and Tolerance for Exploration
Broad match expands your reach — but also your exposure. Expect a testing phase where irrelevant queries appear before optimization kicks in.
Plan for:
- 3–6 weeks of learning
- A controlled test budget (10–30% of total spend)
- Ongoing monitoring of Search Term Reports
Evaluate Industry Fit
Broad match and AI Max tend to perform best in industries with diverse query language and high intent variation, such as:
- Home Services
- Healthcare & Dentistry
- Legal Firms
- Automotive
- B2B Technology
- Financial Advisory
If your business falls into these categories, you’re well-positioned to benefit.
Implementation Framework: How Positive Digital Footprint Uses Broad Match + AI Max
Step 1: Audit and Benchmark
Positive Digital Footprint begins every engagement with a detailed campaign audit — reviewing:
- Match types and search coverage
- Conversion volume and cost per acquisition
- Search term leakage and wasted spend
- Landing page quality and tracking integrity
This baseline helps determine whether the drop in performance stems from AI changes or from operational/seasonal issues.
Step 2: Separate Test Campaign
We create a duplicate campaign that mirrors your best-performing Search campaign — but swap your core keywords for broad match versions and enable AI Max in settings.
Smart Bidding (Max Conversions or tROAS) is activated from day one.
We start small — usually 10–20% of the main campaign’s budget — to gather learning data safely.
Step 3: Guardrails and Negative Keywords
To maintain control:
- We import existing negative keyword lists to filter known irrelevant terms.
- We add brand exclusions if necessary.
- We restrict location and language to high-value areas.
Step 4: Monitor, Optimize, and Promote Winners
Every week, our specialists review the Search Terms Report:
- New relevant queries get promoted to exact match in your main campaign.
- Poor performers get excluded.
- Budgets adjust based on CPA/ROAS trends.
Step 5: Scale
Once results stabilize, we incrementally increase budget toward the broad + AI Max campaign — especially if it delivers incremental conversions at similar or better ROI.
The final output: a blended keyword strategy where exact/phrase campaigns maintain stability, and broad + AI Max drives growth and discovery.
Real-World Industry Scenarios
🏠 Home Services (Roofing, HVAC, Plumbing)
Seasonality and emergency search behavior dominate. Broad + AI Max captures local intent such as “ac not blowing cold air at night” or “leaky roof insurance help,” queries too unique for exact match.
🦷 Healthcare & Dentistry
People describe symptoms differently (“tooth pain after cold drink,” “dentist near me no insurance”). Broad match uncovers this diversity while Smart Bidding filters genuine patients.
⚖️ Legal Services
High-cost keywords make incremental reach essential. Broad + AI Max finds overlooked queries (“help after car wreck,” “legal advice free chat”) that competitors miss.
🏢 B2B & Professional Services
Decision makers often search for solutions rather than product names. Broad match captures early-stage research queries that drive mid-funnel leads.
Other Contributing Factors (Beyond AI)
Even with the perfect campaign setup, external factors can still weigh down performance. Recognizing them ensures you adjust expectations and strategy.
| Category | Example Issues | Recommended Response |
|---|---|---|
| Backend Operations | Slow response to leads, unavailable inventory, form errors | Audit lead flow & CRM speed; use call tracking & form alerts |
| Website UX/Conversion | Slow load time, unclear CTA, friction forms | Optimize UX; A/B test hero sections and CTAs |
| Market Conditions | Competitors increasing spend; inflation impacting bids | Refresh competitive analysis; adjust max CPCs; test new verticals |
| Seasonal Trends | Winter HVAC lull, post-tax-season drop | Use year-over-year comparison; shift budget to remarketing |
| Tracking/Reporting Gaps | GA4 migration issues, mis-tagged conversions | QA all tags; use Google Tag Assistant; rebuild events if needed |
By identifying these root causes early, you ensure you’re addressing the right problem — not just chasing algorithmic ghosts.
Broad + AI Max Success Checklist
✅ Conversion tracking validated
✅ Smart Bidding active
✅ Negative keyword list created
✅ Clear test budget and timeline
✅ Search Terms Report reviewed weekly
✅ Performance vs control campaign compared after 30 days
✅ Backend lead tracking validated (CRM or call logs)
When to Call in the Experts
Deploying broad match and AI Max effectively requires more than flipping a toggle. It involves data interpretation, bid optimization, and strategic testing discipline.
That’s why partnering with a specialized agency like PositiveDigitalFootprint.com gives your campaigns a competitive edge.
We help you:
- Audit full-funnel performance (ads → leads → sales)
- Implement smart match-type strategies
- Correct tracking, bidding, and landing-page bottlenecks
- Diagnose seasonal or operational factors behind performance dips
- Create automated rules and dashboards for continuous improvement
Whether you’re in home services, dental care, legal, B2B, or any performance-driven vertical, our PPC specialists know how to restore growth in an AI-transformed marketplace.
Final Thoughts
Lagging PPC performance isn’t always a sign that Google Ads “stopped working.” More often, it’s a signal that the search environment, competition, or internal operations have shifted — and your strategy needs to evolve with it.
AI Overviews may alter click patterns, but the real key is adaptation.
By combining Broad Match and AI Max, you open your campaigns to new reach, richer data, and improved resilience against changing algorithms.
Yet success depends on more than toggling new features — it requires insight, patience, and cross-channel alignment between your ads, landing pages, and backend sales process.
That’s exactly what we help businesses achieve every day at PositiveDigitalFootprint.com.
If your PPC results are lagging — and you’re ready to explore how AI Max and Broad Match can reignite growth —
reach out for a strategy audit today.
About the writer. Jonathan Riedel is a results-driven business development consultant who helps organizations accelerate growth by converting complex opportunities into measurable outcomes. He specializes in strategic planning, client engagement and revenue expansion — working with high-performance teams to scale operations and deepen client relationships. With a strong analytical mindset and operational discipline, Jonathan partners across functions to turn strategic initiatives into execution-ready plans.