Should You Use Google Performance Max Campaigns
In November 2021, Google rolled out Performance Max campaigns to advertisers across the globe. Although these new campaigns pose exciting opportunities for marketers, many still don’t understand their benefits.
If you fall into this group we’ve got you covered. By looking at some of the pros and cons of Performance Max campaigns we will provide a few of our favorite tips to make the most of this new campaign style. Let’s dive in.
What is Google’s Performance Max
Performance Max is a goal-based campaign style. It’s designed to run alongside your keyword-based Search campaigns to help you drive more conversations across all of Google’s channels. This includes:
- Search
- Youtube
- Gmail
- Maps
- Discover
- Display
- Business Profile
Unlike other Google campaigns, Performance Max automates the targeting and delivery of your ads based on the information you provide. As an added bonus, this campaign style provides data insights using upgraded reporting capabilities and machine learning.
Pros of Performance Max
Access to All Google Ads Inventory
One of the obvious benefits of Performance Max is that marketers can access all Google ads from a single campaign. This makes it possible for companies to broaden their reach without wasting time and energy on managing different campaign types. It also makes Google advertising feel more approachable for marketing novices who aren’t Google experts. After all, managing one campaign that achieves all your marketing goals is easier than managing multiple.
Grow Your Audience
Using Google’s real-time user behavior analysis, Performance Max unlocks new audience segments and ensures that your ad shows up when it’s most relevant. When creating your campaign, you input your base audience, Google then uses this audience to search for new customer segments. This helps expose your brand to new buyers you may not have otherwise known to target.
Low Maintenance Ad Optimization
Performance Max campaigns can help your money go further by automatically optimizing your budget and bids across Google’s ad platforms. All you have to do is set your goals, budget, and conversions to measure. From there, Performance Max will take care of the rest. Once you’ve input your budget, Google provides estimates for conversions, conversion value, and ROAS. This helps you increase campaign goals more efficiently.
Strategic Creative Assets
Google’s Performance Max algorithm generates ads based on the creative assets you provide. To help you make the most out of your copy and visuals, GA4’s Combination Report provides data, letting you know which assets perform best. These insights can help guide your creative strategy moving forward.
Cons of Performance Max
Low Level of Control
While Performance Max campaigns have some benefits, they can also feel pretty restrictive. Advertisers have little control when it comes to targeting and performance data. Marketers cannot add negative keywords (keywords you want to be excluded from your campaign). Instead, you have to put your trust in your campaign manager—which can, at times, be a big ask depending on their workload.
Low Visibility
If you’re looking for detailed insights about your ad campaign, you’re out of luck. Although Google is slowly adding more reporting features, marketers agree that visibility to granular network reporting is needed. Most network reporting is currently inaccessible, making it challenging to gain campaign insights.
Google Performance Max Best Practices
Now that you understand the perks and drawbacks of Google Performance Max Campaigns, how can you begin implementing them into your own marketing strategy, if you choose to do so?
Identify Your Goals
Establishing marketing objectives is important for any advertising campaign. But since Performance Max campaigns are goal-based, specific advertising goals are essential. Taking the time to understand your goals and how they work with your overall marketing strategy will enable you to set your campaign up for success.
Don’t Skimp on Your Assets
Performance Max uses the assets you provide to create ads. The more copy and images you add to your campaign, the more opportunities the AI has to optimize your ad. Google recommends that marketers provide at least five versions of text and image assets. When it comes to Performance Max, more is better, so upload everything you have.
Keep Final URL Expansion On
Final URL expansion is a Performance Max tool that’s automatically selected when you create a campaign. When left selected, campaigns send traffic to the most relevant landing pages on your site and show customized headlines based on search intent. This often improves ad performance by ensuring content is focused on consumers’ interests.
Who Should Be Using Performance Max Campaigns?
Although Performance Max Campaigns have some serious perks, certain marketers may find it more useful than others. Companies running ads across multiple Google channels will likely enjoy the ability to access all campaigns in one location. Marketers who are only showing ads on one channel will find this feature less helpful. This campaign style could also be a great option for companies running a one-person marketing show. Since Performance Max optimizes campaigns for you, marketing professionals can earn back a few hours to focus on other tasks.
Google Performance Max Campaigns provides marketers the opportunity to engage their target audience in new and exciting ways. However, navigating the changing digital landscape alone can be tricky. If you’re interested in creating ads that turn browsers into buyers, connect with one of Booyah’s paid search experts today.
