Track AI Max traffic with Google's new ValueTrack parameter
Google Ads has added a new ValueTrack parameter, {search_term_matchtype}, that tells you the match type of the search term behind each click, and it returns "a" when the click came from AI Max. Put it in your tracking template next to {matchtype} and, for the first time, you can separate AI Max expansion traffic from normal keyword traffic in GA4, your CRM or your lead sheet. If you run AI Max on Search campaigns, add it this week.
What changed
Google's help page on setting up tracking with ValueTrack parameters now lists {search_term_matchtype}, described as the match type of the search term that triggered your ad. It returns:
- e for exact
- p for phrase
- b for broad
- a for AI Max broad expansions and keywordless matches
The change was spotted by Hana Kobzová and reported by PPC News Feed on 11 November. Google has not published a blog announcement, but the parameter is in the official help documentation, so you can use it now.
Why the old parameter wasn't enough
The existing {matchtype} parameter describes the keyword, not the search. Google's ValueTrack help page shows it can already return "a" for AI Max keywordless matches. But when AI Max expands one of your keywords to a search you never targeted, {matchtype} still reports the keyword's own match type, say "e" for exact.
That was the blind spot. An exact-match keyword such as "2 bhk flats in whitefield" could serve on a broader AI Max search, and your analytics would record it as exact-match traffic. The new parameter reports what actually happened to the search.
{matchtype} | {search_term_matchtype} | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| e, p or b | e, p or b | Normal keyword traffic |
| e, p or b | a | AI Max expanded your keyword to a new search |
| a | a | AI Max keywordless match (no keyword involved) |
The third row is our reading of how the two values combine, based on the definitions in Google's documentation. Check it against your own click data in the first week.
Why this matters for Indian advertisers
Most Indian lead-gen accounts we see, especially real estate, education and healthcare, judge Google Ads by what happens after the lead: site visits booked, admissions, appointments. Platform-reported conversions say little about that.
Until now, if you switched on AI Max and cost per lead stayed flat, you could not tell whether AI Max leads were as good as keyword leads. With this parameter in the URL and captured in your form's hidden fields, a real estate developer can compare, for example, ₹1,800 AI Max leads against ₹2,200 exact-match leads on what matters: how many of each booked a site visit.
This is the same problem we described for Performance Max in Your Performance Max campaign is hiding something from you: automation is fine as long as you can measure it separately.
How to set it up
Step 1: Update the tracking template
Go to Admin → Account settings → Tracking to set it for the whole account, or set it at campaign level if you only want it on AI Max campaigns. If you have no template, a simple one is:
{lpurl}?keyword={keyword}&matchtype={matchtype}&stmt={search_term_matchtype}
If you already use a template with UTMs, add &stmt={search_term_matchtype} to it. Use the Test button to confirm the landing page still loads.
Step 2: Capture it in GA4
Register a custom dimension in GA4 for the URL parameter, or map it through Google Tag Manager by reading the URL query value into an event parameter. Name it something clear, such as search_term_matchtype.
Step 3: Pass it into your CRM or lead sheet
Add a hidden field on your landing page form that reads stmt from the URL. Most form tools (WordPress forms, HubSpot, Zoho, LeadSquared) support hidden fields from URL parameters. Without this step you will see AI Max traffic in analytics, but you will not see AI Max lead quality.
Step 4: Build one comparison view
After two to four weeks, compare by stmt value: clicks, leads, cost per lead and your down-funnel stage (site visit, demo, purchase). If you track Meta and Google in the same report, our list of Meta Ads metrics that matter uses the same idea of judging traffic by the next stage, not the click.
What to do this week
- [ ] Check which Search campaigns have AI Max switched on.
- [ ] Add
{search_term_matchtype}to the tracking template and test it. - [ ] Capture it in GA4 and as a hidden field in your lead form.
- [ ] Wait for at least 100 clicks per segment before drawing conclusions.
- [ ] If AI Max leads convert to your real goal at a similar rate, keep it on. If they are clearly worse, tighten it with negative keywords or URL rules before switching it off.
FAQ
Is {search_term_matchtype} available in India?
Google's help page lists no country restriction for it. If it returns blank, check that the ad was served on Search.
Does adding the parameter affect performance?
No. It only changes the landing page URL your visitor arrives on. It does not change bidding or targeting.
Can I see the same split inside Google Ads?
Google Ads already reports AI Max search terms inside the platform. The new parameter matters because it carries that label outside Google Ads, into your analytics and CRM, where lead quality is measured.