Everything We Know About Google’s Performance Max Campaigns

After Google announced that its Performance Max campaign would receive more coverage it has prompted many questions regarding the what Performance Max is, how it is different from other campaigns, and how it will perform. This article is to address these frequently asked questions, and aid advertisers in planning.

What exactly is Google Ads Performance Max?

The major distinction among Performance Max and other campaigns is that Google automatizes the targeting and distribution of the advertisement based on the information the advertiser has provided.

Performance Max is an automated campaign type that is reminiscent of (but not quite as distinct from) an Smart campaign.

Google will make ads automated but only on the assets available in the same manner that display ads that are responsive function.

There are also similarities among Performance Max and social campaigns in that it is used across several placements with dynamic ad formats , and in the fact that reporting on performance for both the audience and the placement is not as extensive.

What network does Performance Max Run on?

Performance Max campaigns are eligible to be run across Google’s options this is a major difference from other Google campaigns. Performance Max campaigns can serve in any of the locations that are offered by Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, and Discovery campaigns.

What Controls and Options Do I have with Performance Max?

When you launch an Performance Max campaign, you decide on the goal. Based on your goals there is the possibility to link stores and feeds to your products.

Bidding and Budget

Then, you’ll set your budget, and then choose you’ll use your bidding strategy. Make sure to note that the bidding strategies you can choose from include the max value and maximum conversions however, you can also select an upper limit CPA or an estimated value/conversion, which allows you to use Target CPA and Target ROAS strategies.

Location Language, Location, Ad Scheduling

Next, you’ll choose your locations. At present, Performance Max is not accessible through the Google Ads editor, so making the selection of the target is more time-consuming than the majority of campaigns. If you have lots of places to target then you can select “enter an additional location” that will grow to add a blank area as well as the “advanced searching” link. Select to open the “advanced search” link to access the option to import multiple locations.

You can choose the language and your ad-schedule and campaign run dates,

Advanced URL Options

These URL options are vital. In default, Google will define its own final URLs , unless you turn off that option. If you let Google to direct users to any URL it deems appropriate however, you have the option of not allowing the links as well.

You could also incorporate tracking templates, and more.

Set Up “Asset Groups” AKA Ads

You’ll be prompted to create the “asset group” which is basically an adthat is identical to an adaptive display asset. It’s an “asset group” is known as an asset group due to the fact that it functions as an asset for every platform. Advertisers can create multiple “asset groups”.

Information for the Automated Targeting

Each campaign has only one set of targeted audiences (so there are no ads groups). You can choose the audiences you want to provide insight into the people Google should be targeting. Google says, “Your ads will automatically be displayed to those with the highest likelihood of conversion in line with your purposes. You can speed up the process of optimization by providing signals to the audience.” What means is that your ads will not be only delivered to these people. Instead, Google is looking at the audience you offer for signals. They’ll utilize that data to determine if similar customers will likely exhibit the same interests and behaviors.

Setup of Ad Extensions

Finally, you can must add your extensions. You may choose to use extensions that are already in place for your account or create your own sitelinks for Performance Max campaigns. It will recommend extensions designs based on your objectives. For example, if the main goal is to generate leads the campaign may suggest you create a lead form extension. It is also possible to include structured snippets including price extensions, promotional extensions, callouts, as well as extension calls.

What is Performance Max Reports Include?

Performance reporting has been recognized as a slack. On the Google Marketing Livestream, it was announced that the feedback of advertisers was received on transparency of reporting, and that Google is working to improve transparency in Google Max campaigns.

It’s unclear exactly how reports will appear like in the near future, which is why I’ll be sharing my experiences using the current reporting style.

The current reporting format is not sufficient. Advertisers have the ability to report on their campaign’s overall performance similar to the other campaigns. The breaks are where they lack the transparency.

The first thing you can doare:

Advertisers may report on the high-level performance of campaigns
Advertisers may report on their the performance of their location (and in the case of an established chain, the report for stores can be accessed based on the extension of the location)
Advertisers are able to report their results by hour of the day, day of the week and even the day and hour.

Then there are the things you aren’t able to report on.

While you are able to include several assets groups (ads) but it’s not possible to report the performance of each specific asset groups. For instance, on display, you are able to track performance through a the responsive display ad, however, you aren’t able to breakdown that performance by the individual asset in any meaningful manner. In Performance Max, you can’t even start the process to break down the performance into an the asset groups (ad).

Also, there’s no information about the targeting of consumers. Be aware those targeting options given are intended to be indicators to help identify other consumers who might be interested in the market and therefore, the audience given won’t be targeted, instead, but to determine qualifying factors and indicators to aid in finding other prospective customers. In the final analysis, you have not a method of determining who saw your advertisement – there’s not even audience reports, keyword reports, no demographic reporting and so on. This means that it’s not possible to create the exclusions required for these items.

Advertisers aren’t able to provide information on the performance of devices or remove devices.

As I haven’t connected to a feed from the product so I’m unable to discuss performance reports at the level of the product.

What is the Performance Max Performance?

I’ll start by noting that I was one of the early testers for Performance Max, so I’ll provide insights from my personal experiences. The amount of miles you can get may be different.

Based on my observation I have observed that Performance Max campaigns performed well. Performance Max campaigns maintained a CPL 21.4 percent lower than our non-brand-search campaigns which were totally over budget with budgets that were not capped. Its CPL was also 22% lower that display which is a sign that it’s going to be very effective on this account. The account’s monthly conversions by around five percent with Performance Max and that was in the context of budget caps, meaning there’s plenty of potential to increase the volumes.

It’s not apparent to eat away at search, however neither the Performance Max nor Display campaigns were full, therefore I do not have a clear idea of the way inventory was shifting between these two channels.

I’d like to qualify these results by affirming that this account that generates lots of volume. Automation is very efficient here probably due to the sheer volume of data that comes through. But, overall, the performance appears positive.

Since it takes time to get leads closed on the account we’re in the process of determining how lead quality is compared with other channels.