Google Ads Performance Max is a new goal-based type of ad campaign that focuses on maximizing performance to increase the conversions of Google Ad campaigns. The Performance Max program acts as your all-access advertising pass to the entire Google Network including Google Search, Gmail, YouTube, Google Discovery, Google Display, Google Shopping, and more,according to etraffic.com.au
It offers an easy and automated way of purchasing Google Ads across all channels of Google from a single place. You also get a deeper insight into Google’s data with upgraded reporting capabilities and machine learning within the Performance Max campaign. This article provides information on Google Ads Performance Max and important tips for success with the program.
How Does Performance Max Work?
Automation and machine learning are what differentiate Performance Max from other Google Ads campaigns. Google uses Smart Bidding to handle the targeting and delivery of ads once you provide the relevant information such as your campaign goals, target metrics, and budget. In fact, Smart Bidding is an automated bidding strategy that helps optimize your campaigns for conversions across all Google channels. It allows for real-time management of budgets, bids, audiences, attributions, creatives, and more.
The best thing about Performance Max is that it claims to learn what works best through machine learning. The program tends to get better, the more you use it for your ad campaigns. Just because Performance Max promises machine learning-driven automation for all of your ad campaigns, it doesn’t mean you can create a client campaign and leave it to Google’s own devices. In fact, there is still some work involved in ensuring Google Performance Max does what it is supposed to do. That’s where our tips for success with Performance Max come in handy.
When Should You Use Google Performance Max Campaigns?
You should make use of Google Performance Max Campaigns when:
You plan to take your keyword-based search campaigns to the next level – The program is supposed to help you reach even more people for better conversions.
Your ads are not limited to a particular Google channel – If your ads are made for a specific Google channel, or they have budget or time limitations, Performance Max isn’t ideal for such ad campaigns.
You have specific advertising as well as conversion goals – Performance Max helps you with its proprietary Smart Bidding capabilities to set Smart goals and get the most out of the program.
You want access to all Google advertising channels from a single campaign – Google Ads Performance Max includes almost of all Google’s advertising channels from a single ad campaign for your convenience.
Important Tips For Success With Performance Max
The importance of accurate full-funnel conversion tracking – Google Performance Max heavily relies on bidding and targeting automation quite similar to local ad campaigns. You may already know the importance of conversion tracking in a Google Ads account. In fact, conversion tracking is even more important when it comes to Google Ads Performance Max.
Keep Final URL Expansion on – Performance Max ad campaigns amalgamate many Google’s Ad formats into one – including search, video, display, shopping, discovery, and local. Similar to some of these other channels, Performance Max has URL Expansion turned on. It means unless you turn the feature off, the campaign will have permission to send users to landing pages other than your final URL, similar to a dynamic ad group.
With dynamic ad groups, you can set your ad targets or the specific landing pages to which you want to drive traffic. But with Performance Max, you can only set exclusions or include the landing pages to which you do not want the campaign to drive traffic. The URL Expansion feature lets you find new converting search queries that may not be included in your keyword-based Search campaigns.
Add at least one video asset to your campaign – Setting up a successful Performance Max campaign can be somewhat tricky. In fact, it’s not about the right bidding strategy or the audience signal, but about providing enough assets for this creative advertising format. You should add a lot of text, videos, and image assets to the campaign since it covers so many different types of inventory.
Anyone who has successfully set up a Google Display campaign knows the importance of including video assets in the format. But video assets are still an optional feature for Google Display campaigns. In Performance Max, video assets are mandatory. For example, if you don’t provide any video assets to your Performance Max campaign, Google Ads will create them for you. But these auto-generated videos leave something to be desired – even for the time being. You should upload the video to YouTube before it can be used in your Performance Max campaign.
Location Settings – Location targeting on Performance Max can be somewhat tricky. You have the option of choosing between targeting “Presence or interest” or “Presence” only when it comes to location targeting on Performace Max. You should go with “Presence” only because your ads could be showing to people outside of the targetted locations if you choose “Presence or interest.” Since Google defaults to “Presence or interest,” you should be sure to change it when setting up location targeting.
Add audience signals – Performance Max campaigns introduce you to the seemingly new concept of audience signals. When you create audience signals in a Performance Max ad campaign, you are telling Google Ads exactly which type of users you would like to show ads to. That way you are in control of your targeting. The audience signals in a Google Ads campaign sit on a different tab in Audience Manager. Even when you create them from within a Performance Max campaign, these audience signals are accessible at the account level.
Google Ads Performance Max focuses on maximizing performance to increase the conversions of Google Ad campaigns. The aforementioned article provides information on Google Ads Performance Max and important tips for success with the program.
