Standard Search campaigns using exact and phrase match keywords may now serve text ads inside Google's AI Mode, a placement that had previously been closed to them. Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin confirmed on September 4, 2026, that the company had begun running a limited test making this possible, describing it as "a small experiment that recently kicked off."
What Google Changed and When
Before this test, the only routes into AI Mode ad placements were AI Max, Performance Max for Search, or broad match with Smart Bidding. Each of those options moves query matching away from a manually maintained keyword list and into Google's automation layer. The experiment was first observed by advertiser Anthony Higman, who posted his findings on LinkedIn the day before Marvin's September 4, 2026 confirmation.
Higman wrote on LinkedIn that "Google is now serving regular pure search campaigns with restrictive match types in AI mode," adding that he had "confirmed through multiple campaigns and tests on our side." Google's Ads Liaison subsequently verified the behaviour in a LinkedIn comment directed at Higman, and confirmed to Search Engine Roundtable a second time that the test is a new limited experiment being run by the Google Ads team.
Eligibility Is Restricted to Clear-Intent Queries
Exact and phrase match keywords are eligible to serve text ads in AI Mode, but only in cases where there is explicit and direct user intent. Marvin's LinkedIn comment drew a clear line between this test and Google's fully automated products: AI Max and Performance Max for Search are designed to capture complex conversational intent and access newer ad formats, including Highlighted Answers.
Google named no countries, gave no end date, and released no performance data in connection with the experiment. The scope of the rollout, how many accounts are included and which markets are affected, has not been disclosed.
Prior Boundaries on AI Mode Ad Eligibility
The experiment represents a departure from the eligibility structure that has governed AI Mode advertising since the surface launched to advertisers. Campaigns using broad match keywords had remained eligible to show ads in AI Overviews and AI Mode, with AI Max expanding that eligibility by applying broad match behaviour to phrase and exact match keywords while also enabling keywordless matching.
The new test introduces a different path: exact and phrase match keywords serving in AI Mode without requiring AI Max or broad match, provided Google's systems judge the underlying user query to carry direct intent.
Higman has argued publicly that the change looks bigger than a small experiment, though the characterization of "small experiment" signals it is not a wide rollout. Both accounts agree that the eligibility rule moved.
Scope of the Test and Campaign Type Distinctions
The change affects advertisers running standard Search campaigns built on exact and phrase match keywords, alongside agencies managing keyword-controlled account structures. It does not alter the positioning of Google's automated campaign types. AI Max for Search and Performance Max retain exclusive access to the newer conversational formats, including Highlighted Answers.
Google has not stated whether the experiment will become a permanent feature or how broadly it will expand. As of September 4, 2026, the only position Google has stated on record is Marvin's.
Implications for Search Campaign Management
For advertisers and agencies currently running standard Search campaigns on exact and phrase match keywords, this experiment, if it progresses toward a broader rollout, could provide incremental AI Mode impressions without requiring a structural campaign change or migration to more automated products. Campaigns that already use tight keyword controls and well-defined ad copy are generally positioned to take advantage of intent-matched placements of this type. Reviewing existing exact and phrase match campaigns for ad quality, landing page alignment, and conversion tracking accuracy would be standard preparation before any expanded eligibility takes effect. This remains an early-stage test, and no changes to campaign structure are warranted based solely on the current announcement.
Marvin's LinkedIn comment, posted September 4, 2026, closed with a clear delineation of the two tiers now under test: exact and phrase match keywords are eligible to serve text ads in AI Mode, limited to cases where there is explicit and direct user intent, while AI Max and Performance Max for Search are designed to capture complex conversational intent and access the latest ad formats, such as Highlighted Answers.
