Joshua Franklin Wiedeman

Google Performance Max

Performance Max (PMax) runs ads across Google’s inventory (Search, Shopping, Display, YouTube, Discover, Gmail, and Maps) from one campaign. You supply creative assets, audience signals, and conversion goals. Google decides where, when, and to whom to show the ads.

How it works

PMax replaces separate channel campaigns with one budget that Google moves between channels based on results against your conversion goal. Your job moves from channel-level buying to supplying good inputs: accurate conversion tracking, strong creative, and useful audience signals.

How to do it

  1. Check that conversion tracking is accurate and turn on enhanced conversions. PMax optimizes toward whatever you count as a conversion.
  2. Fill each asset group: several headlines, long headlines, and descriptions; images in landscape, square, and portrait; and at least one video you made. Without a video, Google may generate one from your images.
  3. Add audience signals: customer lists, website visitor lists, and custom segments. These are hints, not hard targeting.
  4. For e-commerce, link Merchant Center and split asset groups by product category, each with matching creative.
  5. Add brand exclusions if you run a separate brand Search campaign.
  6. Review the Insights tab and asset reports every week to see search themes, audiences, and asset performance.

What to measure

  • ROAS: conversion value divided by cost, compared with your account average.
  • New customer share: new-customer conversions divided by all conversions. Use the new customer acquisition goal if it fits your business.
  • Branded search share: branded queries as a share of PMax search terms in Insights.

Best practices

  • Supply your own video assets.
  • Use several asset groups, organized by product line or service, each with its own creative and signals.
  • Run a separate exact-match brand Search campaign and exclude your brand from PMax.
  • Replace low-rated assets regularly.

Common pitfalls

  • Launching with too few assets, which leaves Google little to test.
  • Letting PMax take credit for branded searches that would have converted anyway.
  • Treating PMax as set-and-forget. It still needs creative refreshes, signal updates, and a weekly review.