CrushPress.AI

Navigating AI Max vs DSA: Advertisers Seek More Control

```json { "alt": "Close-up of a Google Ads webpage viewed through a magnifying glass with the text 'Reach new customers' in focus.", "caption": "Zoom into success: Discover how Google Ads can help you reach new customers with ease, as seen magnified to emphasize its potential impact.", "description": "This image features a close-up view of a Google Ads webpage, prominently seen through a magnifying glass. The magnified text 'Reach new customers' highlights the platform's capability in expanding business outreach. The photograph captures the browser's interface, emphasizing the Google logo and navigation elements. Ideal for illustrating digital marketing strategies, online advertising, and customer acquisition processes." } ```

Written by

shivamcrushpressai

in

, ,

I’ve noticed that advertisers, including myself, are expressing concerns about AI Max’s limited control over landing pages compared to the older Dynamic Search Ads (DSA), especially as Google acknowledges some existing gaps in this area.

During a recent discussion on LinkedIn, digital marketing expert, Gabriele Benedetti, pointed out that AI Max doesn’t offer the same URL-based targeting controls that DSA campaigns did. This is a significant issue for those of us who depend on detailed URL targeting for effective campaigns.

To give more context, DSA allowed us to fine-tune campaigns to align with website architecture using categories, URL paths, and page rules. Unfortunately, AI Max doesn’t yet offer that detailed level of control.

For advertisers like me, managing large or structured sites, maintaining campaign structures that reflect site architecture is crucial. Losing detailed control over where users land could impact the user experience, relevance, and conversion rates.

This situation underscores a larger conflict within Google Ads: balancing automation with our need for control.

In response, Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin assured us that AI Max does support some URL-based controls that include:

  • URL rules and combinations
  • Page feeds with custom labels
  • URL inclusions at ad group level and exclusions at campaign level

Nevertheless, she admitted that not all DSA targeting rules, like “page contains” conditions, are supported yet.

```json { "alt": "Social media comment by a digital marketer discussing content exclusion in ad accounts.", "caption": "Exploring advancements in ad management, this comment highlights upcoming feature enhancements for content exclusions at the account level.", "description": "This image shows a LinkedIn comment from a digital marketer about upcoming changes to ad account settings. The comment discusses aims to introduce content and title related exclusions to accounts later, complementing AI Max’s inventory system that excludes out-of-stock items. This offers enhanced control over ad content. The post is liked by two users and has a reply option. Keywords: digital marketing, ads, content exclusion, AI, inventory management." } ```

Reading between the lines, it seems Google isn’t taking away control entirely but rather redefining how it operates. Instead of elaborate rule-building, we’re being encouraged to use structured inputs, such as page feeds and labels, which AI Max can interpret.

For those of us transitioning from DSA to AI Max, there’s a transition phase where existing URL rules will persist, albeit with limitations. Unsupported rules will remain active as read-only—functional but uneditable.

This setup, however, is merely a stopgap and not a permanent solution.

Looking forward, Google plans to further enhance controls, including introducing content and title-based exclusions at the account level later this year. This would add to the “inventory-aware” capabilities of AI Max, which already automatically excludes out-of-stock items.

The takeaway is clear: AI Max is evolving, yet it doesn’t fully replace DSA’s granular control, and this has been a point of contention for advertisers like me.

If you’re keen on diving deeper into the discussion, you can check the full conversation on LinkedIn.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

crushpress.ai community screenshot

FAQs

How does AI Max compare to DSA in terms of control?

AI Max currently offers less granular control than DSA, particularly for URL-based targeting. The article notes advertisers’ concerns and acknowledges that gaps remain during the transition.

What URL-based controls does AI Max support?

AI Max supports URL rules and combinations, page feeds with custom labels, and URL inclusions at ad group level with exclusions at campaign level. However, not all DSA capabilities are available yet.

Are there DSA targeting rules that AI Max does not yet support?

Not all DSA targeting rules, such as ‘page contains’ conditions, are supported yet. In the transition, unsupported rules remain active as read-only—functional but uneditable.

What improvements are planned for AI Max later this year?

Google plans to enhance AI Max with content- and title-based exclusions at the account level later this year. This would add inventory-aware capabilities to AI Max.

Where can I read more about the AI Max vs DSA discussion?

The article invites readers to check the full LinkedIn conversation linked in the post. It references a discussion with digital marketing expert Gabriele Benedetti.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More posts