Paid Search: Are Performance Max Campaigns Any Good?

As our Google Ads Paid Search consultants have over a decade of experience we've been around the block a bit with Google's campaign types - we remember when expanded text ads were the big thing. However, in the last year or two Google are really pushing their Performance Max (PMax!) campaigns.

We won't sit on the fence here - for eCommerce they can significantly boost your online presence and drive valuable conversions, but even for other product types they can be worth it. As a Paid Search marketing consultancy, we make heavy use of these campaigns in performance-based plans - let's talk about how they can revolutionize your digital advertising efforts and help you tap into new customer segments.

What are Performance Max campaigns?

Performance Max is a cutting-edge campaign type designed to enhance your existing keyword-based Search campaigns. It offers a streamlined solution by consolidating all your Google Ads inventory into a single campaign. This means your ads can reach potential customers across various Google channels, including Shopping YouTube, Display, Search, Discover, Gmail, and Maps.

The key advantage of Performance Max lies in its goal-based approach. It enables you to specify conversion goals that matter most to your business, such as online sales or lead generation. Leveraging Smart Bidding and powered by Google AI, Performance Max optimizes your campaign in real-time, ensuring you get more conversions and enhanced value.

What's Performance Max strong at?

1. Unlock New Audiences: Reach untapped customer segments across diverse Google channels and networks, especially Shopping

2. Drive Better Performance: Achieve your business goals with improved campaign performance and transparency.

3. Gain Transparent Insights: Access rich insights into your campaign's impact, helping you optimize creatives and drive better ROI.

4. Steer Automation: Customize campaign inputs to guide automation and simplify ad management.

5. Simplify Campaign Management: Easily access and optimize ads across all Google advertising channels with a single campaign.

When to use Performance Max?

Consider Performance Max when:

• You have specific performance-based advertising and conversion goals (e.g., online sales, lead generation).

• You want to maximize campaign performance across various channels.

• Accessing all Google advertising channels through a single campaign is essential.

• You seek additional reach and conversion value beyond keyword-based Search campaigns.

How does Performance Max work?

Powered by AI, Performance Max maximizes campaign performance by considering your unique expertise, including budget, business goals, and desired conversions. Audience signals, creative assets, and optional data feeds provided by you enhance AI's ability to find potential customers and serve the most relevant ads with optimal bids.

Performance Max integrates seamlessly with existing Search campaigns, respecting your keyword targeting. It prioritizes Search campaigns if the user's query matches eligible keywords. Additionally, it optimizes bids and placements across channels for conversions or conversion value.

Tailored Solutions for Different Goals:

• Online eCommerce Sales Goals: Leverage Performance Max with a Merchant Center feed for optimal performance.

• Local Goals: Easily create a Performance Max campaign with local contacts or directions as conversion goals.

• Travel Goals: Ideal for hotel performance advertisers, Performance Max for travel goals serves across all Google properties.

How to set them up?

This is where it can get a bit tricky. As an AI-based campaign there is actually little to do in terms of traditional set-up, keywords etc. It's all about the settings (and a bit about the ad copy!).

You'll have to be very comfortable with how the elements interplay with each other, so it's a good idea to have a solid grip of all Google's ad formats and properties, to be able to visualize the audience settings and ad copies.

Fortunately, we're here to guide you in implementing Performance Max campaigns to elevate your digital advertising strategy. Don't miss out on the opportunity to unlock new audiences and achieve better performance across the Google ecosystem; contact our Paid Search experts today for a free chat.