Performance Max, The Good, Bad, Ugly, Yes, Sometimes & Never Ever

Google’s Performance Max campaign (PMax) has quickly become a popular tool in the digital marketing landscape largely by way of deprecating Smart Shopping and forcing advertisers into this new campaign type. 

It’s definitely NOT for everyone such as lead gen. Yes it “can be done” or tested but there are more productive things to do.  The reason it is not recommended for lead gen is due to the inclusion of traffic from Google’s Display Network which is very prone to bots and poor quality traffic. 

It does well for e-commerce when there is sufficient volume along with providing a merchant center feed which forces the system to spend into Shopping Auctions which are featured high in the search results are are legit inventory. Unlike dodgy sites in the “search partner network.” 

To me it’s a little mind boggling that people swoon over this campaign type they claim is so smart & has some many other signals yet out of the box it will cannibalize search and branded terms to hit it’s goal.  Branded terms are the easy lay up of the industry, the equivalent of paying a sales rep to win new business yet letting them sell to existing customers to make a good chunk of quota. 

Pros

  1. Unified Campaign Management One of the biggest advantages of Performance Max is that it allows marketers to access all of Google’s ad inventory (Search, Display, YouTube, Discover, Gmail, and Maps) from one campaign. This can save significant time and effort compared to managing separate campaigns for different channels. By eliminating silos, PMax allows for a more cohesive strategy across all of Google’s properties.

  2. Leverage Google’s Machine Learning PMax uses Google’s powerful machine learning to automate much of the heavy lifting involved in campaign optimization. By analyzing vast amounts of data in real-time, it can continuously refine targeting, bids, and ad placements to maximize conversions. For advertisers with limited time or resources for manual adjustments, this AI-driven approach can lead to better results without constant hands-on management.

  3. Improved Ad Personalization The campaign pulls from various assets—images, videos, headlines, and descriptions—to dynamically create ads suited to individual user preferences. This personalization helps deliver more relevant ads to users, potentially improving engagement and conversion rates. Advertisers can reach users across multiple touchpoints, ensuring their ads are shown to the right audience in the right context.

  4. Access to New Ad Placements Performance Max gives advertisers access to newer placements, such as YouTube Shorts and Discover, that are harder to reach with standard campaigns. This opens up fresh opportunities to engage with audiences where they are spending their time, further expanding potential reach.

Cons

  1. Lack of Transparency and Control While the automation aspect of PMax is convenient, it also means giving up significant control over where and how your ads are displayed. Advertisers can’t choose which specific networks or placements to target, which can be frustrating for those who prefer more granular control. Additionally, the level of reporting is more limited than traditional campaign types, making it harder to understand exactly where your ad spend is being allocated.

  2. Limited Data Insights – No Search Query Reporting like we have been used to in standard Search & Shopping campaigns. This makes it harder to find and exclude keywords.  Search Impression share is coming soon as of writing. Audience level data is also more limited compared to say Standard Shopping.  

  3. Creative Asset Requirements Performance Max requires a wide variety of creative assets to perform effectively. While this versatility can improve ad relevance, it also means that advertisers need to invest in high-quality images, videos, and copy for the campaign to work optimally. For smaller businesses or those without access to extensive creative resources, meeting this demand can be a challenge.

  4. Potential Budget Inefficiencies – Out of the box, Performance Max will served on branded search terms allowing it to easily hit target. Extra reach comes in the form of impressions and clicks that likley are not that good. 

When I would use it?

Lead gen, never. I’ve used it for ecommerce with sufficient volume with Feed Only set ups. This way it’s much more akin to standard shopping. Brand should absolutely be excluded to maximize reach and high new customer ratios. 
An “all asset” set up can be OK for new arrivals launches. IE new collections from existing businesses.  For a brand new advertiser I would not recommend Pmax at all. 
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