Mastering Ad Copy in the Age of AI: How to Stay Smart with Google Ads Automation

With AI tools becoming the norm in digital advertising, marketers are finding themselves in a tricky position. Google Ads now offers AI-assisted features to create and improve ad copy, aiming to save time and enhance performance. But here’s the big question: Can you trust AI to write your ads effectively?

The answer is both yes and no.

While these AI tools can support your campaigns, they need your strategic input to truly shine. Otherwise, the output can be bland, off-brand, or even misleading. This article will help you understand how to work with AI in Google Ads—without losing control of your message.

Why Google Uses AI to Write Ads

Google Ads now comes with a feature called Automatically Created Assets (ACA). When enabled, this tool scans your landing page, keywords, and existing ads to generate new headlines and descriptions. These suggestions are then tested using Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) or Performance Max campaigns.

The AI aims to boost relevance and performance by quickly generating copy. But here’s the catch: the copy is only as good as the information it’s based on.

So, if your landing page is unclear or your existing content is vague, the AI might generate weak, repetitive, or confusing ad text.

Be Careful When Enabling Automatically Created Assets

When you opt into ACA, Google asks you to confirm that your landing page is accurate and not misleading. Why?

Because you’re still legally responsible for what the AI writes.

This small but important detail highlights a larger truth: AI is not perfect. You need to carefully review everything it creates. You can’t just “set it and forget it.”

Understand the “Ad Strength” Score

When building Responsive Search Ads, Google provides an Ad Strength score. It tells you how many headlines and descriptions you’ve added and gives real-time suggestions like:

• “Add more unique headlines.”
• “Use more keywords.”
• “Include a call-to-action”

While this may seem helpful, don’t fall into the trap of writing only for the score. A high Ad Strength doesn’t always mean your ad will perform well.

Your goal is conversions, not just a shiny “Excellent” label. Use Ad Strength as a guide, but focus on what your audience needs to hear.

Build a Strong Landing Page First

Your landing page plays a major role in the AI-generated copy.

Google scans this page to create suggestions. So, if your page is:

• Too general
• Lacking clear headings
• Missing product details

…then your AI-generated ad copy will also be vague.

To avoid this, make sure your landing page includes:

• Clear product or service descriptions
• Strong headlines
• Customer benefits
• Calls-to-action (CTAs)

The better your landing page, the better the AI suggestions.

How to Structure Your Headlines Strategically

AI can give you quick headline suggestions, but these are not always smart or strategic. Many are basic, like “Buy Online” or “Huge Inventory”—not useful if you’re not running an e-commerce store.

Here’s a framework to write better headlines:

1. Keyword-Focused: Use keywords your audience is searching for.
   • Example: “Affordable Web Design Services in Delhi”
2. Feature or Benefit: What’s in it for the customer?
   • Example: “Launch Your Website in Just 5 Days”
3. Product Name: Be specific about what you offer.
   • Example: “Zentro CRM Software – For Growing Businesses”
4. CTA: Encourage action.
   • Example: “Get a Free Demo Today”
5. Brand Name: Build trust.
   • Example: “By DigitalBee Solutions”

Each headline should serve a different purpose. Don’t repeat the same idea with minor changes.

Be Critical of Google’s “More Ideas” Suggestions

Google offers a “More Ideas” panel where you can view headline and CTA suggestions. Sounds helpful, right? Not always.

Some issues you might face:

• Generic suggestions: “Book Now,” “Huge Savings” — these aren’t tailored to your business.
• Unrelated keywords: Sometimes it pulls in competitor names or wrong categories.
• Mismatch with your tone or strategy

In one case, a business offering free samples got suggestions like “Book Your Table”—completely irrelevant.

So, don’t blindly accept these ideas. Use them as inspiration, not as ready-to-publish content.

Write Descriptions That Add Real Value

Google’s description suggestions are often weak: short, repetitive, or just rewrites of your headlines. That’s a wasted opportunity.

Descriptions should take the conversation further. Use up the 90-character limit effectively.

Try this structure:

• Support the headline: Add details that expand on your main message.
  • Headline: “Start Your Trial Today”
  • Description: “Get full access to all features for 14 days. No payment needed.”
• Highlight a value proposition: What makes your offer special?
  • “Built for small teams – easy to set up and use.”
• Create urgency or emotion: Push the user to act.
  • “Only 50 spots left for this month!”
• Answer questions: Help users understand the benefit.
  • “Why choose us? 24/7 support and zero setup fees.”

Good descriptions convert interest into action.

Test But Verify: Conversational AI Experience in Google Ads

Google is testing a new chat-based tool called Conversational Experience. It helps advertisers write ad copy, pick keywords, and improve Ad Strength through a chat interface.

Sounds futuristic, but it’s still in beta. In tests, the suggestions it gave were the same as the “More Ideas” panel — generic and not personalised.

Plus, Google itself warns that the AI may provide outdated or inaccurate information.

So yes, try it out. But double-check everything before launching your campaign. Use your marketing instinct, not just the machine’s suggestions.

Final Checklist: How to Get the Best Out of Google Ads AI

If you’re using AI tools in Google Ads, follow these key steps to stay in control:

• Start with a strong landing page: Clear, relevant, and keyword-rich
• Manually create your core ad assets: Don’t rely only on automation
• Use Ad Strength as a guide, not a goal
• Review all AI-generated assets for accuracy
• Customise headlines and descriptions using a proven framework
• Avoid generic ideas from “View Ideas” without checking for fit
• Use automation to scale, not to replace your strategy

Final Thoughts

AI can be a powerful assistant—but not a replacement—for good copywriting. The biggest mistake advertisers make is letting automation run without oversight.

Google’s AI features can certainly speed up the ad creation process. But if you don’t feed it the right inputs or review its outputs, your ads may end up being vague, off-target, or even risky.

Think of AI in Google Ads like a junior copywriter. It can support your team, but it still needs clear direction and careful editing.