Are you ready to boost your Google ads with Performance Max Campaigns ? Launched in November 20211, this goal-based campaign type makes managing ads easier and can improve your results. But, to get the best results, you need to follow some key steps. I’ll share the top Performance Max dos and don’ts to help you use this new campaign type well.
Key Takeaways
- Performance Max campaigns need a daily budget of ₹5000 to ₹10000 for at least a month23
- You must have at least one video in the campaign12
- It’s crucial to track conversions accurately from start to finish2
- Don’t use Merchant Center feed images as your image assets2
- Exclude branded keywords to see how well the campaign really performs3
What is a Performance Max Campaign?
Performance Max is a new, automated campaign type from Google Ads. It lets advertisers run ads on many channels like Search, Display, Discover, YouTube, and Shopping in one campaign4. This campaign uses Google’s machine learning to improve your ads for your goals, such as sales or leads4. It makes managing your campaign easier and can boost performance if used right.
Performance Max uses5 Google’s AI to predict how well ads will do. This ensures your campaign hits the mark for the best impact. It also uses data to improve how ads work together to get more conversions4.
This campaign is flexible. It can work with your Search campaigns and focus on them if needed5. But, it can also show different ads if your campaign doesn’t meet certain criteria4. In Europe, it can work with any Comparison Shopping Service, giving you more ways to reach people4.
For specific goals like getting people to visit a store or book a hotel, Performance Max has special features. Advertisers can focus on local visits or directions for store goals4. Travel businesses can use it for hotel bookings across all Google platforms4.
Overall, Performance Max is a powerful tool for advertisers. It simplifies campaign management and boosts results across different channels. By using Google’s advanced technology, Performance Max can help you meet your goals and reach more people45.
| Key Feature | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Fully Automated, Goal-Based Campaigns | Optimises for desired conversion goals (e.g., sales, leads) using Google’s machine learning algorithms |
| Access to Multiple Ad Channels | Runs ads across Search, Display, Discover, YouTube, and Shopping within a single campaign |
| Data-Driven Attribution | Optimises for incremental touchpoints driving conversions |
| Flexible Targeting | Can complement existing Search campaigns or prioritize them, while also serving ads based on eligibility |
| Tailored Solutions | Offers specific features for advertisers with store, travel, or other goals |
“Performance Max campaigns leverage the power of Google’s machine learning to optimise your ads for your desired conversion goals, streamlining campaign management and driving better results across multiple channels.”
In summary, Performance Max is a versatile and effective campaign type. It helps advertisers meet their goals with one campaign. By using Google’s advanced tech, Performance Max offers a full solution for advertisers wanting to boost their ads and reach their audience better456.
Track Conversions Properly
It’s vital to set up strong conversion tracking for Google Ads campaigns, especially for Performance Max campaigns. Performance Max needs you to bid on conversions. Running it without tracking is not advised7.
Importance of Full-Funnel Conversion Tracking
When starting a Performance Max campaign, you can choose between two bid strategies: Conversions and Conversion value. Both are great for tracking but need some setup. Think about what actions on your site you want to track, like sales or leads. Then, set up these conversions using Google Tag Manager, GA4, or Google Ads directly. For accurate tracking, consider working with a pro or checking Google’s help. After setting up, you can move forward with confidence7.
Tracking conversions fully is key for Performance Max campaigns to work well. It helps the algorithm understand your goals and optimize better8.
Using Performance Max, advertisers see over 18% more conversions at the same cost8. Those focusing on new customers see a 9% ROAS boost, 5% more new customers, and a 7% cut in new customer costs8.
“Comprehensive conversion tracking across the full customer journey is essential for Performance Max campaigns to function at their best.”
Avoid Running a Single Asset Group
Running a successful Performance Max campaign means keeping your assets in separate groups9. Aim for at least 3 headlines, 1 long headline, 3 descriptions, 1 business name, and 1 call to action in your text9. For images, use sizes like 1200 x 628 pixels for landscape, 1200 x 1200 pixels for square, and 960 x 1200 pixels for portrait9. Videos should be 10-60 seconds long, and having at least one video in your group helps avoid auto-generated ones9.
Creating separate asset groups for different parts of your business boosts your Performance Max campaign’s success10. This way, you can target each product or audience with specific images, headlines, videos, and more10. Avoiding a single asset group makes your ads more relevant and engaging for your target customers10.
Using multiple asset groups in Performance Max is great if you have varied targeting or goals11. It’s also good if you’re finding it hard to get 60 conversions in 30 days with one group11. This method lets the algorithm learn and improve, leading to better results for your business11.
The secret to Performance Max success is having a diverse, high-quality set of assets for your target audiences10. Avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach helps you tap into the full potential of this campaign type10.
Create Excellent Assets
For a successful Performance Max campaign, focus on making top-notch assets. This means creating ad copy and images that grab your audience’s attention. Every part of your campaign should be well-made to get more engagement and conversions.
Attention-Grabbing Ad Copy
Writing great ad copy is key for your campaign. You can use up to 5 short headlines, 30 characters each, and 5 long headlines, up to 90 characters12. Make these headlines stand out and show off the best parts of your business. This will encourage users to click.
High-Quality Images
Images are very important for your campaign. You can add up to 20 images, with different ratios like 1.9:1, 1:1, or 4:512. Lifestyle images work well, so show your products or services in real-life settings. If you can’t find great product images, use the best stock images you can find12. High-quality images make your campaign perform better.
Video is also key for your campaign. If you don’t add a video, Google will make one for you, but it might not work as well12. Make sure your videos are at least 10 seconds long and match your campaign’s theme and message.
“Creating excellent assets is the foundation for a successful Performance Max campaign. Invest the time and resources to develop high-quality ad copy, images, and videos that will captivate your audience and drive meaningful results.”
By focusing on making great assets, you’ll set your Performance Max campaign up for success. This will help you reach your goals.
What to do and what not to do with your Performance Max Campaign
Optimising your Performance Max campaigns requires some key tips and tricks13. First, make sure you track conversions from start to finish. This helps you see how well your campaigns work and make smart choices13.
It’s also wise not to rely on just one type of ad. Mix up your creative to find out what your audience likes best13. This boosts your ad performance and gives you insights for better content later.
- Create ads that grab attention and clearly share what you offer13.
- Use high-quality images that look great with your ads13.
- Set up audience signals to help your ads reach the right people14.
But, there are mistakes to avoid13. Don’t ignore the power of video in your ads – it can really help grab and keep attention14. Also, don’t forget to set up URL expansion, as it can greatly improve your campaign’s success.
By following these performance max best practices, performance max optimization tips, and avoiding common performance max dos and don’ts, you can make your Performance Max campaigns successful131415.
“Implementing the right strategies and avoiding common pitfalls is key to getting the most out of your Performance Max campaigns.”
Don’t Overlook Video
Video is key in Performance Max campaigns. It works on YouTube and helps you connect with your audience, share your story, and boost sales16. Yet, many forget to include video when starting Performance Max campaigns. If you don’t add a video, Google Ads will make one for you, but it might not work well.
Creating Video Assets
It’s wise to use a creative agency for a top-notch video. This might cost more upfront, but it will pay off in sales16. Even making your own video will be better than Google’s auto-generated one. Your video ad should be at least 10 seconds long. Keep it simple and make sure it encourages people to visit your website. Tools like Canva can turn your images into animated videos. Upload it to YouTube and link it to your Performance Max campaign.
Performance Max campaigns use AI and need good data like conversion goals and audience insights for best results16. But, don’t forget how crucial video assets are. High-quality videos help you connect with your audience and increase conversions in your Performance Max campaigns.
Set Up Audience Signals
Setting up effective audience signals is key for a successful Performance Max (P-max) campaign. These signals help the machine learning algorithms find your ideal audience17. By sorting these signals into categories, you keep control over targeting and optimisation17.
P-max’s algorithm works hard to find new audiences and boost performance17. But, you need to give it strong audience signals to start well. Use your customer data, remarketing lists, and customer match lists to help it find more potential customers17. These signals can include age, gender, location, browsing history, and search keywords for better targeting17.
Google’s algorithms use these signals to power your P-max campaign’s asset groups17. With detailed audience signals, you get efficient targeting, smart budget use, automation, and testing benefits17. But, remember, these signals have their own issues, like being just suggestions and lacking detailed data17.
Informing the System
To beat these issues, make your audience signals clear by creating many asset groups for each signal. This makes performance better and easier to improve17. Use custom segments, keyword lists, first-party data, and demographic and interest-based targeting when setting up your signals1819.
Adding audience signals helps the machine learning models know how to best optimise your campaign, boosting performance18. P-max might also show ads to new audiences if they could convert well, helping you meet your goals18.
Custom audience segments can target ideal audiences with keywords, URLs, or apps, and demographics help focus on specific groups18. Other segments like life events, affinity, and in-market signals can help you reach the right people at the right time18.
Google suggests putting all audiences in one asset group, but it’s better to make a group for each signal for more control and optimisation19.
By using a mix of custom segments, demographic targeting, and data uploads, you can make a strong targeting strategy for your P-max campaign19. The more precise and relevant your audience signals, the better your campaign will do over time17.
Don’t Forget Key Settings
When setting up a Performance Max campaign, don’t miss these two key settings. The first is URL expansion, a feature from Dynamic Search Ads (DSA). It’s on by default, sending users to various pages on your site20. You can’t choose specific pages for Performance Max, so turning it off is wise20.
The second setting is bid on new customers only, which is off by default. This is great if you focus on new customers, but it might lower your campaign’s performance20. Know these settings and pick what’s best for your goals20.
Understanding these settings is key to making your Performance Max campaign successful20. Paying attention to performance max key campaign settings can greatly improve your marketing20.
Also, the performance max customer acquisition rules and performance max url expansion can boost your campaign21. By setting these up right, you can make your Performance Max campaign meet your business goals and target audience21.
Knowing about the key settings and features of Performance Max campaigns is vital for success22. With the right strategy, you can fully benefit from this powerful tool and lead the competition222021.
Optimize Your Product Feed
When running a performance max campaign, making sure your product feed is top-notch is key for success23. Sadly, 7% of products sent to the Google Merchant Center get rejected for data mistakes23. To make the most of your performance max shopping campaign, focus on performance max feed optimization, performance max product data quality, and performance max shopping campaign best practices.
The Importance of Feed Optimisation
Your product feed is what powers your Google Shopping ads in your performance max campaign23. It’s crucial that the data is right, detailed, and grabs attention23. By optimising your feed, Google can better understand and promote your products. This leads to better visibility, more clicks, and more sales24. Focus on getting your brand name, MPN/SKU, and GTIN (UPC code) right. Also, make sure product titles are rich and informative, categorise items correctly, and use feed attributes wisely.
23 Making your product titles better can double or triple the number of clicks and boost sales23. Using A/B testing can help find the best titles. It’s also key to segment products well using attributes like Product Type and Google Product Category for performance max campaigns23. Custom labels might not directly improve ad performance, but they help manage products well.
24 Google AI helps power Performance Max campaigns to increase traffic to your online and in-store products24. Make sure your Merchant Center account has all the necessary product info and links to your Google Ads account.
Optimising your product feed gives you more control over your performance max campaigns’ targeting and messaging2324. This can greatly boost their performance. Keep up with updates, like the Google change in early August 2023, to stay ahead.
Understand the Commitment Needed
Running a successful Performance Max campaign takes a big commitment from advertisers. These campaigns use AI and machine learning to work well25. To get the best from your campaign, plan for the resources and time needed.
You should set aside a daily budget of about £50-100 for at least a month25. This gives the Performance Max algorithm enough data to learn and make smart choices. Google suggests waiting at least six weeks for the machine learning to work well and gather enough data for comparison25.
During this time, the system looks at ad reception, click-through rates, conversion rates, and more. It uses this data to spot patterns and adjust its strategies.
The more data you give the system, the better it can predict user behaviour and improve your ads25. Use audience signals like customer lists, Google Analytics, and interest targeting to help the system aim your ads better26. Also, the bidding strategy you choose can affect the cost per conversion in your campaigns26.
It’s important to keep an eye on your results and adjust your campaigns as needed26. Look at conversion delays, changes in site behaviour, and what your competitors are doing. This helps you refine your strategy for better results.
A successful Performance Max campaign needs a big upfront investment of time, money, and data. But, the benefits of more leads, conversions, and marketing efficiency make it a good choice for many252627.
Use in Conjunction with Other Campaigns
As a digital marketer, I’ve found that combining Google’s performance max campaign with my search campaigns changes the game. This combo lets me boost my visibility and make sure the right ad reaches my customers, no matter their search query28.
Here’s how it works: If a search query matches a keyword I’m bidding on, my Search campaign ad shows up. But if the search doesn’t match my keyword, Google picks between my Search campaign ad and the performance max campaign ad. The ad with the top Ad Rank score gets shown28.
This performance max search campaign synergy increases my reach and makes sure I show the most relevant ad to my audience. By using the best of performance max ads and search ads, I create a strong campaign that gets results28.
| Metric | Performance Max Campaign | Search Campaign |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | Wider reach across Google platforms2829 | Targeted reach based on specific keywords |
| Targeting | AI-powered, automated targeting29 | Granular, manual targeting based on keywords |
| Transparency | Less transparency on ad placements29 | Greater transparency on ad placements |
| Conversion Tracking | Requires full-funnel conversion tracking28 | Easier to track conversions |
By using both performance max campaign integration and traditional search campaigns, I make a full, effective advertising plan. This plan delivers great results2829.
“Performance Max campaigns helped MotorK, an automobile sales and marketing technology firm, increase qualified leads by 24% and CTR by 30% over previous search and display campaigns.”28
As I keep improving, I’m sure the mix of performance max campaign and search campaign will keep boosting my business’s performance282930.
Avoid Using Branded Keywords
Excluding branded search terms from your Performance Max campaigns is key for accurate data31. Branded search terms might make Google overestimate your campaign’s success. This is because users looking for your brand are more likely to buy than those using other terms31. This could make your P-max results look better than they really are31.
To get a true picture of your campaign’s success, consider adding a standard shopping campaign for branded keywords32. P-max doesn’t let you manually exclude certain terms, so you’ll need a negative keyword list and Google’s help to apply it32.
Branded searches often have a higher conversion rate and lower cost-per-click than non-branded searches31. By leaving out branded keywords, you get a clear view of how well your P-max campaign works for new audiences32. This way, you see how well your campaign reaches and engages new people, not just your existing customers31.
Whether to exclude branded keywords depends on your business and campaign goals32. For ecommerce, it might depend on what you sell and your budget32. For lead generation, P-max’s success depends on audience signals and data accuracy32.
Thinking about branded keywords’ effect on your P-max campaign helps you make better decisions for your ads313233.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Agencies Running Branded PPC Campaigns | 93% |
| Branded Searches | 10% |
| Increase in Click-Through Rate per Position | 74.5% |
| Ideal Brand Campaign Quality Score | 8-10 |
Thinking about branded keywords helps you make better choices for your ads and get clearer insights313233.
Develop Efficient Asset Groups
When running a performance max asset group strategy, it’s key to group your assets smartly. The asset report helps you see how different assets do in a Performance Max campaign. This lets you make smart choices about which assets to keep, remove, or improve34. You can look at asset performance in many ways, like by group, campaign, or across several campaigns34.
Assets like descriptions, headlines, images, logos, and YouTube videos are tracked closely for their success. They get ratings from “Low” for the worst to “Good” and “Best” for the best34. The “Combinations” report shows the top 6 ways to mix these assets across channels like Search and YouTube34.
For performance max campaign structure best practices, the asset group reporting is very useful. It shows which groups do well for the campaign and meet goals34. The report also tells you if an asset was made by you, created automatically, or improved by Google34.
For performance max product segmentation, group your assets by your products, services, or who you’re targeting. This makes managing your campaign easier and lets you set ROAS targets for each product34. The report also checks on image sizes and points out any policy issues with your assets34.
By making smart asset groups and using the asset report, you can make your performance max campaign work better34. A well-planned asset group strategy is essential for getting the most out of your Performance Max campaigns34.
Conclusion
To boost your35 Performance Max campaigns, make sure to use strong conversion tracking. Also, mix up your asset groups and create top-notch ad assets. Don’t forget to use video36, set up audience signals, and improve your product feed36. It’s also key to understand the effort needed36.
But, avoid mistakes like using just one asset group, missing important settings, and picking branded keywords. Also, don’t forget to link P-max with your other campaigns.
By sticking to these performance max campaign best practices summary, performance max dos and don’ts recap, and remembering the key takeaways for performance max success, you’ll set your campaigns up for success. This will help your business thrive3536.
Focus on the basics – track conversions, improve ad quality, optimise for your audience, and integrate your campaigns well. Doing this right can unlock Performance Max’s full power. Let’s use this powerful tool to elevate our marketing and grow our brands.