Google launches AI-powered ad tool to boost African businesses’ online reach

Onome Amuge

Google has launched the global beta of AI Max for Search Campaigns, an upgrade to its Search Ads platform that integrates artificial intelligence to provide smarter and more intuitive advertising tools for businesses, including those across Africa seeking online growth and expansion. The new feature aims to enhance ad visibility, facilitating connections between local businesses and a broader customer base in the rapidly evolving digital landscape. The launch comes at a crucial time for African businesses experiencing an increasingly digital economy. With a growing number of consumers across the continent using Search for decision-making, from local services in Yaba to product comparisons in Nairobi, the potential for businesses to connect with local customers is significant. However, reaching these diverse and rapidly changing markets can be challenging, a gap AI Max is designed to address. AI Max leverages the latest AI models, including Google’s Gemini technology, to help businesses appear in more relevant searches, even when potential customers use search terms beyond traditional keywords. This allows businesses, such as a small bag shop in Kumasi, to be discoverable through queries like “durable carryall for weekend travel,” even if those exact words weren't in their ad targeting. “People are asking more specific questions on Search, and they expect more helpful answers,” stated Brian Burdick, Senior Director of Search at Google. “With AI Max, we’re using advanced AI to better understand those questions and help businesses show up at just the right moment — with content that’s more relevant, and more likely to help people find what they’re looking for,” he added. The new suite of features includes:

Search term matching: Automatically identifying new relevant search queries.
Dynamic text customisation: Real-time updates to ad copy to better align with user intent.
Final URL expansion: Directing customers to the most relevant page on a business’s website.
Control settings: Allowing advertisers greater control over ad placement through location targeting and brand filters.

For African business owners, many operating in competitive markets with limited marketing budgets, these automated tools can be pivotal in gaining visibility and ensuring their ad spend is more effective in reaching high-intent customers. Early global adoption of AI Max has shown promising results, with businesses experiencing an average 14% increase in conversions at a similar cost-per-action. The uplift was even more significant for those transitioning from traditional exact-match keyword targeting. Crucially, AI Max is not a new campaign type but an integrated setting within existing Search campaigns, enabling African businesses to experiment with the feature immediately without requiring a complete campaign overhaul. “We know many African entrepreneurs wear multiple hats. They’re managing stock, serving customers, and handling finances — often all at once. AI Max is about making their advertising work harder for them, not adding to their workload,” Burdick commented. The development builds upon Google’s ongoing initiatives to support small and medium-sized enterprises in Africa through programmes like the Hustle Academy and various digital skills training, which have already benefited millions of African entrepreneurs. AI Max for Search Campaigns represents an additional tool aimed at accelerating their success in the digital economy. The global open beta rollout of AI Max, including in Africa, is scheduled to begin later this month.