Some of your Google Ads Search campaigns may have changed in September without anyone on your team touching them. Between 1 and 30 September 2026, Google automatically moved eligible campaigns using broad match or automatically created assets to AI Max.
That is one of several shifts reshaping paid search in India. For Bangalore businesses that run on leads, such as property developers, hospitals, colleges and B2B firms, the real question is whether the AI is optimising for the right outcome. Here are nine changes worth watching, and what to do about each.
- AI Max has already switched on in many Search campaigns
AI Max for Search is not a new campaign type. It is a layer inside existing Search campaigns that can widen query matching, adapt ad text and send people to different pages on your site. Which of these features are active depends on the settings each campaign was migrated with. Dynamic Search Ads campaigns follow in February 2027.
Based on its internal data, Google says advertisers typically see 14% more conversions or conversion value at a similar cost. An independent Smarter Ecommerce study of over 250 retail campaigns found median revenue up 13%, but median CPA up 16%, with results swinging widely. Lead-gen results may differ. Check your AI Max settings, search terms and landing pages from September onwards.
- Your ads may appear inside AI Overviews and AI Mode
Ads can now show within AI Overviews and AI Mode in India. Eligibility comes through Search, Shopping and Performance Max campaigns, and there is no opt-out. Google also doesn’t currently report these placements separately.
Strong negative keywords and accurate landing pages matter more, and shifts in lead quality are the signal to watch.
- Performance Max is less of a black box
A common complaint about Performance Max (PMax) was the limited visibility into where budget went. It now offers channel-level reporting across Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail and Maps, a search terms report, brand exclusions and campaign-level negative keywords.
If your PMax campaigns were built a year ago and left alone, review them. See which channels are spending, block irrelevant searches such as “jobs” or “free”, and keep branded searches in a separate campaign.
- Smart Bidding is only as good as the conversion you define
Automated bidding chases whatever you count as a conversion. If that’s every form fill, it can end up favouring cheap form fills: fake numbers, job seekers and people who never pick up the phone.
Low volume makes it worse. Strategies such as Target CPA tend to become unstable when a campaign records only a handful of conversions a month. Combining similar campaigns, or optimising for a meaningful action such as a qualified call, gives the system more to learn from.
- Lead outcomes need to flow back into Google Ads
The fix for poor lead quality is telling Google what happened after the enquiry. Enhanced conversions for leads lets you upload CRM outcomes, such as a site visit, an admission or a closed deal, matched using hashed emails or phone numbers. Google reports a median 10% increase in conversions for advertisers who add this first-party data to offline imports.
Since 15 June 2026, new API-based offline conversion uploads have to use Google’s Data Manager API, and Google recommends existing integrations move too. If most of your leads arrive by phone or WhatsApp, capturing contact details at the first touch is the hard part.
- Customer data now comes with DPDP obligations
Uploading customer emails and phone numbers to ad platforms generally relies on valid consent. India’s Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules phase in over 18 months: the consent manager framework starts on 13 November 2026, and most core obligations apply from 13 May 2027.
Check your lead forms, privacy notices and CRM records now, and take legal advice where you’re unsure.
- Creative is now an input, not a finished ad
Google’s Asset Studio generates image, video and text variations from a brief. AI Brief, in beta in India, lets advertisers guide AI Max in plain language, including what it must not say. Meta’s guidance similarly emphasises genuinely different creative concepts over small variations of one ad.
Your team’s job is to supply distinct angles, real proof points and firm guardrails, especially in closely scrutinised categories like healthcare and real estate.
- Search ads are starting to hold conversations
Business Agent for Leads, in beta in India, places a Gemini-powered agent inside the ad that answers questions using your website’s content. Google says upGrad is testing it to respond to students round the clock and qualify leads before counsellors call.
For considered purchases like courses, treatments or apartments, this could shorten the path to a serious enquiry. Check that your website answers common questions accurately first.
- ChatGPT ads are live in India
OpenAI started showing ads in India on 27 August 2026 to users on the Free and ₹399-a-month Go plans, and opened self-serve buying in early September.
There are no reliable Indian benchmarks yet. If your buyers research heavily before purchasing, a small test with a fixed budget, clear success criteria and proper tracking is sensible.
What to ask whoever runs your ads
Whether you manage campaigns in-house or work with a PPC agency in Bangalore, these questions show quickly whether the account is keeping up:
- Which campaigns moved to AI Max in September, and how have search terms and cost per lead changed since?
- Are we importing qualified leads or sales from our CRM, or only counting form fills?
- Is our customer data collected with consent that will stand up under DPDP?
- What is the budget cap and stop rule for testing new placements?
The advertiser’s job is to define what a good customer looks like and hold the system to it. Judge performance on cost per qualified lead, revenue and customer acquisition cost, not on the number of conversions Google reports.
FAQs
What are the most important PPC changes for Bangalore businesses right now?
Google has moved many Search campaigns to AI Max, ads now appear in AI Overviews and AI Mode in India, and ChatGPT ads have launched here. The priority is feeding platforms qualified-lead data from your CRM, collected with proper consent.
Can I stop my ads from appearing in AI Overviews?
No. Google doesn’t currently offer an opt-out or separate reporting for these placements, so tight negative keywords and close monitoring of lead quality are your main controls.
Is it still worth hiring a PPC agency when AI does so much?
AI automates bidding and ad assembly, but not the decisions behind them. Someone still has to define good conversions, connect CRM data, set guardrails and review search terms. Whether that’s an agency or an in-house team, judge them on cost per qualified lead and revenue.
Should a small business move budget to ChatGPT ads now?
Only as a small, capped test. ChatGPT ads have no Indian performance history yet, so keep core budget in established Google campaigns.
