Google Ads announced it is launching journey-aware bidding, expanding both Smart Bidding Exploration and budget pacing. Smart Bidding Exploration beta for Performance Max with product feeds and Shopping campaigns will launch in few weeks and budget pacing in Search and Shopping campaigns is rolling out in the coming months.
Ginny Marvin summed it up on X:
(1) Journey-aware bidding for tCPA Search campaigns in beta: Improves prediction quality and optimization for Search campaigns using CPA targets by learning from all of your conversion goals, not just those you’re bidding to. Ideal for complex lead gen sales cycles.
(2) Smart Bidding Exploration is expanding to tROAS PMax and Shopping campaigns: Smart Bidding Exploration enables you to capture incremental queries without having to change your targeting or lower your ROAS targets across the board. It’s currently in beta for PMax and the beta will launch for PMax with product feeds and Shopping campaigns soon.
(3) Demand-led budget pacing in Search and Shopping campaigns: We’re updating our budget pacing with Google AI to better predict fluctuations in demand and automatically flex on peak days and reduce spend on slower days. Monthly budget and daily spending limits remain respected.
Google wrote:
Search campaigns using Smart Bidding Exploration on average see 27% more unique converting users. Soon you’ll be able to use that same capability to reach new customers and capture additional conversions across both Performance Max and Shopping campaigns.Smart Bidding Exploration for Performance Max is currently in beta. We’ll be launching the beta for Performance Max with product feeds and Shopping campaigns in a few weeks.
Google added:
To better predict consumer behavior and follow demand automatically, we’re upgrading our budget pacing in Search and Shopping campaigns in the coming months. With demand-led pacing, Google AI will better optimize spend to follow consumer demand - capturing more demand on peak days and reducing spend on slower days - all while never going beyond your monthly budget and daily spending limits.
Here is a more visual take:
1/9 Maximize your returns with AI-powered 𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. 🐷 Here are 𝟯 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲s to optimize your campaigns and boost performance: 👇
— Google Ads (@GoogleAds) May 7, 2026
🔭 1. Journey-aware bidding
🌱 2. Smart Bidding Exploration expansion
📡 3. Demand-led pacing
Learn more… pic.twitter.com/Y86ddN9qUV
3/9 Boost lead gen by using conversion actions to help Google AI understand your customer journey better. pic.twitter.com/N9jmiGWYaG
— Google Ads (@GoogleAds) May 7, 2026
5/9 Smart Bidding Exploration expands to Performance Max and Shopping campaigns to help you capture less obvious queries that you weren’t able to win before, without changing your targeting. pic.twitter.com/izjeLudhta
— Google Ads (@GoogleAds) May 7, 2026
7/9 📡 3. Demand-led pacing pic.twitter.com/kXPNaXL6v3
— Google Ads (@GoogleAds) May 7, 2026
9/9 Don’t miss out! Register for #GML2026 on May 20, 2026, to see the latest AI-powered innovations across Search and YouTube that will drive growth. → https://t.co/V0QTWcVZPD pic.twitter.com/RRsJn4uojK
— Google Ads (@GoogleAds) May 7, 2026
Forum discussion at X.
