Google Ads today is heavily AI-driven. That’s not news.
What’s less understood is what the AI is actually reading, how it builds context, and why creative choices now matter more than ever — even for teams that aren’t technical or hands-on in the platform.
AI isn’t just looking at keywords anymore.
It’s interpreting signals across imagery, copy, video, behaviour, and intent — all at once.
Here’s how that really works, and what you need to know to steer it properly.
Google Ads AI Doesn’t Think in Keywords Alone Anymore
Historically, Google Ads relied heavily on keywords and match types. Today, those are just one input.
Modern Google Ads AI builds context by combining signals from:
- Search behaviour
- Ad copy and headlines
- Images and video content
- Landing page content
- User intent and patterns
- Historical performance
This is why ads that “technically” look correct can still underperform. The system isn’t just matching words — it’s forming an understanding of relevance.
How AI Reads Context Through Copy
Copy is no longer just about persuasion. It’s also a signal.
Google Ads AI looks at:
- Language patterns
- Consistency between headlines and descriptions
- Alignment with landing page content
- Clarity of the offer and intent
Clear, specific copy helps the system understand:
- Who the ad is for
- What problem it solves
- What outcome it promises
Vague copy doesn’t just confuse users. It confuses the system.
If your ads try to say everything, the AI struggles to understand what matters.
How AI Interprets Imagery
Images are not decorative anymore. They’re contextual signals.
Google’s AI analyses imagery to understand:
- Product type or service category
- Environment and use case
- Tone and positioning
- Visual consistency across assets
For example, lifestyle imagery, product shots, or abstract visuals each communicate different intent signals. If imagery doesn’t align with the offer or landing page, performance often suffers — not because the image is “bad,” but because the signals are mixed.
Consistency matters more than polish.
How Video Adds Depth to Context
Video gives AI more information than any other format.
Through video, Google Ads can interpret:
- Narrative structure
- Messaging hierarchy
- Visual pacing and emphasis
- Engagement signals like watch time
This is why YouTube and Demand Gen campaigns often influence performance elsewhere. Video helps the system understand your brand, category, and intent more deeply, which then feeds into optimisation across the account.
Video isn’t just a top-of-funnel tactic. It’s a context builder.
AI Connects All of These Signals Together
The key thing to understand is that AI doesn’t evaluate copy, images, or video in isolation.
It looks at:
- Whether the message is consistent across formats
- Whether imagery matches copy and landing pages
- Whether user behaviour aligns with the promise
- Whether engagement signals support relevance
When everything aligns, the system gains confidence. When signals conflict, performance becomes unstable.
This is why random creative testing without a clear strategy often backfires.
Where Humans Still Matter Most
AI is excellent at processing signals at scale. It is not good at understanding business nuance.
Humans still need to decide:
- What the core message is
- Who the real customer is
- What not to say or show
- When performance “looks good” but isn’t commercially healthy
AI can optimise toward clicks or conversions. It can’t judge whether those conversions are valuable, sustainable, or aligned with business goals.
Humans steer. AI accelerates.
Common Mistakes Teams Make With AI-Driven Ads
Most issues don’t come from the technology. They come from assumptions.
Common mistakes include:
- Treating creative as interchangeable
- Mixing messages across assets
- Expecting AI to fix weak positioning
- Overloading campaigns with too many ideas
- Changing inputs constantly without letting the system learn
AI needs clarity and consistency to work well. Chaos just scales chaos.
How to Use This Knowledge Practically
You don’t need to become technical. You do need to think systemically.
Ask questions like:
- Does our copy clearly state who this is for?
- Do our images support the same message as our headlines?
- Does our video reinforce the same value proposition?
- Would a human understand this without explanation?
If the answer is no, the AI probably won’t either.
The Bottom Line
Google Ads AI doesn’t just optimise bids and placements. It reads context through copy, imagery, and video to understand relevance and intent.
When your message is clear and consistent, AI becomes a powerful ally. When your inputs are vague or conflicting, AI amplifies the confusion.
You don’t need to control the algorithm. You need to give it something worth learning from.
That’s how AI-driven Google Ads actually perform — and why humans still need to steer the wheel.