📰 Media & Journalism May 6, 2026 · Sam Bradley

‘CPC pain is real’: One year on, Google’s AI Max has pushed up search budgets – and costs

Digiday
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‘CPC pain is real’: One year on, Google’s AI Max has pushed up search budgets – and costs
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In the 12 months since Google debuted AI Max for Search, brands have increased their search budgets and seen cost-per-clicks (CPCs) rise, while compounding search’s transition into a media channel ruled by automation.



For some clients, search costs increased by as much as 15% in the last year, according to four media buyers who spoke with Digiday.



Unlike traditional methods of targeting search campaigns, AI Max generates target keywords and queries using a brand’s chosen landing page, crea

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