YouTube and Google Ads Synergy: Get the Best of Both Channels

Marketers who combine YouTube and Google Search ads unlock a powerful advantage: the ability to guide users across the entire marketing funnel, from discovery to intent to conversion. Google Search ads are designed to capture high-intent queries from users actively looking for solutions, while YouTube, the world’s second-largest search engine, drives awareness and action through immersive video content.

Together, YouTube and Google Search ads create a seamless path to purchase, all within the Google Ads platform. This strategy equips you to meet consumers at every touchpoint with the right message at the right time. In this blog, we’ll break down why YouTube and Google Search ads work better together and how to run them in sync for a complete campaign strategy.

The Evolution of YouTube and Google Search Ads

Since the launch of AdWords in 2000, Google Ads has transformed from a basic paid search advertising tool into a robust, multi-channel ecosystem. Today, marketers can activate campaigns across YouTube, Google Search, Shopping, Display, and more. When used together, YouTube and Search can be a complementary powerhouse, allowing advertisers to reach audiences from brand discovery to conversion. Let’s look at how each channel has advanced and what you can take advantage of now:

YouTube’s Growth from Digital Branding to Full-Funnel Engine

Over the years, it has grown from a digital branding platform into a full-funnel advertising channel with various YouTube ad formats built for awareness, consideration, and conversion. Today, YouTube offers diverse ad formats across mobile, desktop, tablets, and even Connected TV (CTV). It’s no longer just a strong tool for brand awareness; YouTube campaigns now drive traffic and action, making it a key player in performance marketing strategies.

Google Search Ads: Now Onto AI-Enhanced Ad Delivery

Google Search Ads have also undergone a major transformation, from manual keyword bidding and static ad copy to a highly automated, AI-enhanced system. Features like automated bidding, responsive search ads, and dynamic search ads allow Google’s machine learning to optimize campaigns in real time based on user behavior, device, and context.

The latest rollout, AI Max for Search campaigns, takes this further by helping advertisers tap into new search queries, predict user needs, and deliver more relevant results across an expanding set of intent signals.

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Further Reading

Learn More About AI Max for Google Search Ads

As part of Google’s latest wave of AI-powered tools, AI Max brings smarter automation to Search campaigns. Read our guide on how it functions and how advertisers can use it to drive stronger performance and more relevant results.

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Modern consumers no longer follow a predictable, linear path to purchase. Instead, they toggle between video content and search queries, often across multiple devices.. For example, a user may watch a YouTube video about summer travel ideas and see an ad for a travel booking app. Intrigued, they later Google the app or the destination mentioned to learn more, or even convert immediately through an app install button shown directly on YouTube.

This behavior between YouTube and Google Search is now a natural part of how people discover and evaluate brands. Advertisers that sync messaging and targeting across both channels are far more likely to capture attention, reinforce interest, and drive conversions using a coordinated YouTube and Google Search ads strategy.

How Does YouTube Fit into a Google SEM Strategy?

The general knowledge is that YouTube is more for brand awareness, but Google Search ads also work in that aspect. So, how exactly do these two advertising strategies fit and complement each other?

YouTube Ads Build Demand, Google Search Ads Capture It

YouTube’s algorithm, paired with strategic audience targeting, is a powerful way to spark product interest and introduce new brands to the right users. That curiosity often leads users to Google Search, where they seek more information or take the next step.

But with the rise of AI Overviews and AI Mode, users increasingly rely on generated summaries and top-level answers, skipping direct website clicks. This makes it more challenging for brands to stand out in organic results alone.

That’s where a combined YouTube and Google Search ads strategy comes in. YouTube content, especially creator-led and user-generated videos, often surfaces within AI Overviews, reinforcing credibility and adding a human layer to the algorithm’s summaries. At the same time, lower-funnel keywords (like specific product names or prices) still trigger traditional search results, like product tiles, making Search a key channel for driving conversions.

From video discovery to keyword-driven research, users move through a journey where they’re gradually nurtured: watching content, exploring related topics, and eventually converting. This handoff between platforms positions YouTube as a powerful top-of-funnel engine that fuels demand, while Google Search ads capture that intent at the moment it peaks.

YouTube Creators as Brand Advocates

At Google Marketing Live 2025, it was revealed that 82% of viewers** trust recommendations from YouTube creators. That level of credibility turns creators into powerful brand advocates, especially when integrated into a YouTube advertising campaign. When audiences trust the messenger, they’re more likely to search for the brand, product, or service immediately after seeing the ad.

Shopping Behavior Feeds Google Search Interest

With over 90 million shopping hours daily on YouTube**, the platform is its own online destination for product research. Viewers often start with product discovery, watching hauls, tutorials, or reviews, and then head to Google Search to compare prices, check specs, or complete a purchase. 

By complementing YouTube ads with the right Google SEM campaign strategy, your brand will surely pop up throughout this research journey.

Google and YouTube as Everyday Essentials

83% of internet users use both Google and YouTube daily, with 65% stating that they turn to either Google or YouTube first when seeking information or inspiration**. Additionally, 70% of users use Google Search** to evaluate products or brands they first encountered on social platforms like YouTube, illustrating the synergy of the two channels in the consumer journey.

YouTube Primes Curiosity, Google Search Captures Intent

A significant portion of shopping-related searches on Google are broad—about 75% of product searches use generic terms rather than specific brands or products**. YouTube ads invoke awareness and interest by exposing users to new products and trends. Then, as users move to specific, high-intent Google searches, your paid search ads should be ready to meet them.

When you integrate YouTube ads into your Google SEM campaign, you build a connected strategy that meets users where they are. This helps you move people from passive discovery to active conversion, while continuously nurturing intent-driven audiences along the way.

How to Integrate YouTube Ads Into Your Google Search Ads Strategy

As you’ve seen throughout this blog, it’s been proven that running YouTube and Google Search ads together allows brands to guide users from initial awareness to action. Here’s how to build a connected strategy integrating video reach and keyword intent for a full-funnel marketing approach.

Strategy 1: Demand Gen and Search Ads

• Start with keyword-based signals: Start by mining your Google Search Ads for high-performing keywords and audience insights. Feed this data into your Demand Gen campaigns on YouTube, which helps you serve relevant video content to users based on their search behavior and interests. Demand Gen is ideal for mid- to lower-funnel efforts where your goal is to drive action, while Search captures the exact moment of high intent.
• Retarget video viewers with tailored Search ads: Link your YouTube account to Google Ads to create retargeting lists based on who watched, liked, or engaged with your videos. These viewers are already familiar with your brand—use Search campaigns to serve them compelling offers or product ads. This layered approach reinforces brand recall as users continue their journey.

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Further Reading

Demand Gen: From Basics to Campaign Set-Up

As YouTube ads expand beyond traditional video placements, many advertisers are curious about how the new Demand Gen campaign format works and why it’s worth exploring. This guide covers the core benefits of Demand Gen and walks you through campaign setup.

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Strategy 2: Demand Gen and Performance Max

• Feed Performance Max with stronger signals: Pair your YouTube Demand Gen strategy with Performance Max campaigns to push AI-powered performance even further. While both are designed to convert, they work best when Demand Gen warms up users with interest-driven content that drives quality traffic, which in turn informs your PMax campaigns.
• Align contextual targeting with conversion goals: YouTube can spark interest based on context, which complements Performance Max’s ability to optimize based on conversions. As more users interact with your YouTube ads, Google’s AI learns what themes and intents drive the most action, allowing you to serve even more relevant ads across placements.

Strategy 3: YouTube Video Reach Campaign and Search Campaign

• Maximize reach through CTV: Video Reach Campaigns allow you to place your message in lean-back viewing moments. Think living room settings, where viewers watch YouTube TV or long-form content. With Strike Social’s benchmarks showing up to 76.14% video completion rates for skippable CTV ads, this format provides extended exposure, much like viewers’ behavior when watching linear TV.
• Capture post-view interest on Google Search: Once awareness is established on YouTube, Search picks up where video leaves off. Use AI Max for Search campaigns to dynamically align with what users are likely to search after watching your video: brand terms, product types, or category-related queries. This keeps your brand visible at the exact moment of consideration.

Combining the Core Strength of the Google Ads Ecosystem

As we now understand, both YouTube and Google Search ads have their own roles in building the customer journey. While their roles may interchange, they complement each other well in a way that Google designed them to do so. Across different Google advertising platforms, the goal is to guide users from initial curiosity to final purchase, ensuring no opportunity is missed across multiple touchpoints.

To get the most out of YouTube and Google Search ads, it’s essential to work with a media partner who understands how to align video, search, and AI-powered automation. At Strike Social, we help brands integrate Google and YouTube campaigns to achieve scalable performance, powered by our proprietary tool, always-on optimizations, and a team of certified paid media experts.

Ready to bring your YouTube and Google Ads strategy together? Contact our team for a personalized walkthrough of how we can help you maximize reach, engagement, and performance across the Google ecosystem.

* Strike Social data, YouTube and Google Search campaigns, Q1-Q2 2025
** Data from Google Marketing Live 2025

The post How to Combine YouTube and Google Search Ads for Better Results appeared first on Strike Social.

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AI Max for Search Campaigns: How to Build Smarter SEM Ads

AI is reshaping paid search, and Google’s AI Max for Search* is its latest leap forward. Unveiled alongside updates like ads in AI Overviews during Google Marketing Live, this tool signals a major shift in how advertisers compete for high-intent searches.

With search campaigns becoming more competitive and personalized, AI Max for Search offers a smarter way to connect with audiences by matching search ads to user intent in real time and optimizing where those ads land.

But can AI Max really support your SEM campaign performance? 

In this guide, we’ll explain how AI Max for Search works, how to enable it in Google Ads, and how it compares with Search and Performance Max.

What is Google’s AI Max for Search and How Does It Work?

Designed to optimize your search ads in real time, AI Max uses Google’s AI models to tailor your ad delivery based on user intent, helping drive stronger performance toward your campaign objectives.

Here’s how AI Max makes your Google SEM campaigns smarter:

Smarter Search Term Matching

AI Max expands your reach by matching your search ads to high-intent queries, even ones outside your keyword list. While you may have carefully structured exact match or phrase match keywords, AI Max intelligently goes beyond those with broader matching based on real-time user signals.

According to Google, 75% of shopping searches are phrased broadly. That’s where AI Max thrives, capturing interest the moment curiosity strikes.

Dynamic Asset Optimization

AI Max also dynamically tailors your headlines and descriptions to better match each user’s specific search. It analyzes your landing page, assets, and ad copy, then generates text variations aligning with user intent.

Let’s say you’re selling fashion sneakers for men but didn’t include “graduation gifts” in your keyword list. Under standard Search ads, it would appear like this:

With AI Max for Search, however, your ad can still show when someone searches for “graduation gifts.” Google AI dynamically adapts your headline and description based on user intent, drawing from your existing assets to generate a more relevant version, such as:

This approach helps your ads break through clutter and appear more relevant, boosting visibility and engagement outside your defined keywords.

Benefits of AI Max for Search Campaigns

• Expanded Reach Without Bloated Keyword Lists: AI Max allows you to capture valuable search traffic you might otherwise miss. No need to expand keyword lists endlessly; AI fills the gaps intelligently.

• Personalized Ad Delivery at Scale: Your ads are automatically tailored to each searcher’s intent, delivering a more personalized experience that can drive higher engagement and conversion rates.

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Case Study:

Using AI Max for Search, L’Oréal expanded its ad reach to high-intent queries like “what is the best cream for facial dark spots?”. Google’s AI adapted L’Oréal’s Search ads to align with user intent by optimizing headlines and descriptions in real time.

The campaign resulted in a 2X higher conversion rate and a 31% lower cost-per-conversion, driven by smarter search term matching and tailored ad experiences that compelled users to click.

As searchers signal precisely what they want, AI Max for Search tailors L’Oréal’s ad copy, driving stronger engagement and more efficient spend.

• Smarter Landing Page Alignment for Better Conversions: Another feature of AI Max for Search is Final URL expansion, which routes users to the most relevant page on your site based on their search.
  
  If your selected final URL is a general category page, AI Max might detect that a specific product page (like a Mother’s Day gift set) is more aligned with the query, and automatically direct traffic there.
  
  That means less friction for the user, and a quicker path to “Add to Cart” for you.

• Enhanced Controls and Transparency: Even with all this AI optimization, you still retain control. Google is rolling out improved reporting so you can see exactly which AI-generated headlines, descriptions, and landing pages are converting best.
  
  If preferred, you can opt to use your original creative assets or lock in a specific URL, keeping human management at the center of your paid search campaign.

Google recognizes that while AI enhancements unlock new capabilities, advertisers still want control over how their campaigns run. With AI Max for Search, Google strikes a balance, offering the flexibility of automation alongside the ability for human oversight and strategic optimization.

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Further Reading

Excluding YouTube Kids Channels for Brand-Safe Campaigns

Ads that appear on YouTube Kids channels can dilute campaign impact and expose your brand to misaligned audiences. With limited buying power and off-target content alignment, these placements offer little value—and carry brand safety risks. Learn how to take proactive steps to prevent your ads from showing on YouTube Kids content.

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AI Max vs Performance Max

With the rollout of AI Max for Search, advertisers may wonder how this new AI enhancement differs from Google’s established Performance Max campaign type.

Here’s the short answer:

Both AI Max and Performance Max support Search, but with different scopes and specializations. AI Max is built exclusively for Search campaigns, offering advanced AI-driven optimizations tailored to search intent. While it may expand in the future, it’s currently limited to Search ads only.

In contrast, Performance Max is a broader campaign type that integrates text, image, and video ads across all of Google’s inventory, ideal for advertisers looking for multi-channel reach.

Now, let’s take a closer look at how these two approaches compare within Search. Both offer greater control and transparency, but their features and focus differ in key ways:

AI Max and Performance Max represent Google’s push toward AI-driven automation and smarter ad delivery. But when it comes to a Search-first strategy, AI Max is purpose-built for advertisers who:

• Want tight control over keyword targeting and ad customization
• Prioritize search intent and performance transparency
• Need to scale Search campaigns without changing campaign types

Performance Max remains the broader, multichannel solution for brands looking to maximize visibility across all Google touchpoints. But if your goal is to build smarter SEM ads focusing on SEM growth, AI Max is the way to go.

How Do I Set Up AI Max for Search Campaigns?

All set to launch an advanced Search campaign powered by Google AI? You can either activate AI Max when creating a new campaign or apply it to an existing Search campaign. Here’s how to do both:

How do I set up AI Max for a new Search campaign?

1. On your Google Ads dashboard, click on +Create, and click Campaign.
2. For the objective, select “Create a campaign without guidance”. Choose Search as the campaign type.
   • For the conversion goals, you can select whether you have an existing goal to replicate or click on Add goal if you have a new one to add. Once you’ve done this, click Continue.
3. Continue to configure your campaign settings. At the AI Max page, toggle the button to turn it on. Customize the AI Max features as follows:
   • Search term matching:
     1. Go to the Ad groups level.
     2. Select the ad group, then go to Search term matching.
     3. Toggle this option on or off as you prefer.
   • Asset optimization
     1. Under the AI Max page, go to Asset optimization.
     2. Once AI Max is activated, Text customization and Final URL expansion* will also be turned on automatically.
        • To exclude URLs:
          1. Under the URL expansion section, click Add URL exclusions.
          2. Enter the list of URLs you want AI Max to ignore when selecting landing pages. Click Apply and then Save.
        • To include preferred URLs:
          1. At the Ad group level, scroll to the AI Max section and click Add URL inclusion.
          2. Enter the URLs you want AI Max to prioritize when determining the best landing page. Click Save to apply.
4. Complete the rest of your campaign setup. Once done, review everything in the Review Campaign section, then click Publish campaign.

*If Text Customization is off, Final URL Expansion will also be deactivated.

How do I activate AI Max in my existing Google Search campaigns?

1. On your Google Ads screen, go to Campaigns.
2. Select your existing Search campaign. Hover over the campaign row, then click on the gear icon to edit the campaign settings.
3. Find the AI Max section, and toggle it on.
4. Customize your AI Max preferences (follow the steps from #3 as stated above).
5. Click Save and close the settings panel.

How do I turn off AI Max in my Search campaign?

To disable AI Max:

1. Navigate to Campaigns.
2. Choose your Search campaign that has AI Max activated. Then click on Edit settings.
3. On the AI Max section, expand this section and toggle the button off. Note that turning off AI Max will also deactivate Search Term Matching and Asset Optimization*.
4. Once you’re done, click on Save.

*If you reactivate AI Max later, your previous settings will be restored automatically.

This step-by-step guide is designed to help you breeze through the controls of AI Max. As this technology develops, being at the forefront is your key to better performance with Google’s AI.

AI Max FAQs: What Advertisers Ask

Step Forward with More of Google AI Innovation

Yet another notable evolution in Google’s paid advertising ecosystem, AI Max for Search combines AI’s advancements while still keeping advertisers in control. It builds on the familiar foundation of Search campaigns but with smarter tools that adapt faster and scale results across broader, higher-intent audiences.

As Google AI continues to reshape different aspects of search in response to changing user behaviors, now’s the time to explore what AI Max can do for your SEM strategy. 

Got questions or ready to explore how AI-powered advertising can accelerate your results? Contact us to learn how to make AI and paid media work for your brand.

*AI Max for Search is expected to roll out to all advertisers by early Q3 2025. For details on availability for your account, please consult your agency or Google Ads representative.

The post Smarter Paid Search with Google’s AI Max for Search Campaigns appeared first on Strike Social.