Performance Max is one of the most discussed and evolving campaign types on Google Ads. Google Ads has addressed many frequently asked questions in a recent post. The original post is available here, and we have extracted key takeaways to provide a clearer understanding of Performance Max campaigns. Some insights are truly inspiring. Additionally, we have included some Q&A to better understand the Performance Max approach—not necessarily key takeaways, but still valuable to know.

Why Is Google Performance Max Reporting a Black Box?

The key reason is that a channel-based approach often leads to misleading impressions about a channel's actual performance. The importance of a channel may be overlooked, so Performance Max campaigns do not provide overly granular data.

You're Happy With Performance Max Campaigns—Now What?

If a Performance Max campaign is performing well, what’s next? Are there areas for further improvement?

Google Ads recommends:

• Adding more creative variations

• Testing different CPA and ROAS targets

• Using different search terms

Brand Safety and Performance Max Campaigns

One of the biggest concerns for digital marketers is brand safety. Since Performance Max does not use direct targeting and dynamically creates creatives, concerns about brand safety may increase.

Here are Google Ads' responses to these concerns:

• Account-level negative placements also apply to Performance Max campaigns. A detailed and updated negative placement list works effectively.

• Similarly, account-level negative keywords help block irrelevant visitors.

• Different content sensitivity settings can be selected in Performance Max, making it easier to choose safer placements.

Note from Keyofroi: For creative safety, previews can be shared with brands, and the nature of Performance Max campaigns should be explained. However, it's important to note that creative examples do not cover all possible variations.

Increasing Lead Quality With Performance Max

For eCommerce, it is nearly impossible for bots or irrelevant visitors to randomly purchase a product and complete payment. However, the same cannot be said for lead generation, where there are significant risks of low-quality leads, including:

• Inefficient budget allocation

• Campaign AI optimizing based on the wrong examples

• Call center or sales teams wasting time on leads who are not genuinely interested but only filled out a form

Here are some tips from Google Ads to improve lead quality:

• Technical precautions:

  Blocking autofill forms and using reCAPTCHA can help prevent bot submissions.

• Two-step approval:

  SMS or email verification can filter out irrelevant applications.

Performance Max vs. Demand Gen

The similarities between Demand Gen and Performance Max can be confusing for digital marketers. Our article compares the two, but the main difference seems to be their goals. While Performance Max focuses on sales and lead generation, Demand Gen is often used for earlier stages of the conversion process.

Another key difference is placements—these two campaign types use different placements across Google’s ad network.

Performance Max Campaign Structure

Campaign structure is an important factor in optimizing Google Ads. This FAQ also includes recommendations for structuring Performance Max campaigns effectively.

Here are two key insights:

• Avoid over-granular campaign structures.

  If not necessary, avoid creating multiple campaigns, as this slows down the learning process and may lead to cannibalization.
  
  

• Use different creative asset groups for different themes.

  If highlighting different products or services, use distinct images and creatives for each theme.

  
  

Sources & Further Reading

Answering Your Top Questions About Performance Max

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