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What are Google Performance Max Campaigns and How Do They Work?

While creating a single Google Ads campaign may be easy, crafting multiple campaigns for different advertising channels can be time-consuming and difficult.

Performance Max by Google eliminates the need for manual targeting and bidding by providing ad copy all in one go. This saves you a considerable amount of time overall.

For a better understanding of Google Performance Max Campaigns, we’ll discuss what it is, its benefits, and when it should be used.

What is Google Performance Max?

Google’s Performance Max Campaign is a campaign type that automatically optimizes ad delivery to get the most value out of each impression. Advertisers only need to set their goals, and Google will use machine learning to target and deliver the ads.

Performance Max is similar to other campaign types, such as Search and Display, in that it uses Google’s vast amount of data to target ads. It also shares certain similarities with social campaigns, such as:

  • It runs across numerous platforms using dynamic ad formats
  • Performance reporting by audience and placement is limited.

However, the key difference is that Performance Max automates the targeting and delivery of the campaign, so that advertisers don’t have to. This can save a lot of time and effort, particularly for those who are running multiple campaigns.

Google Performance Max Summarized

Overall, Performance Max is a great choice for those who want to get the most out of their advertising budget. It offers some unique features that other campaign types don’t, such as the ability to optimize for cross-device conversions.

In summary, it’s a more advanced form of automated marketing that takes the guesswork out. It’s like Smart Campaigns, but with less human oversight, and higher conversion potential.

What are the Benefits of Performance Max Campaigns?

Google’s new campaign type promises advantages over other offerings.

Through the automated optimization of budget and bids across all Google platforms, a Performance Max campaign seeks to enhance online leads and conversions. This might be more effective than a standard search effort.

Google’s real-time data on shopper intent and preferences help you discover new audience segments that you might be unaware of. This could make your ads more likely to get delivered in front of interested shoppers, leading them down the sales funnel.

What Network Does Google Performance Max Run On?

The unique thing about Google’s Performance Max campaigns is that they can serve in any placement from Search, Display, and YouTube ads across all of their Google ads inventory.

This separates it from the rest of Google’s other campaign types and provides marketers with a lot more options when it comes to where these advertisements will show up, whether on-site or off-site.

What Options Does Performance Max Offer?

You can choose the objective of your Performance Max Campaign when setting it up. These might include:

Budget and Bidding

You decide on your own budget and bidding approach. Bidding strategy parameters, such as maximum conversions and maximum value, are available.

However, you may also provide a maximum CPA or a target value/conversion, enabling you to deploy Target CPA and Target ROAS strategies.

Locations and Languages

With Performance Max, you can optimize your campaigns for the perfect location and the appropriate languages.

Choose which locations best fit your campaign’s performance and goals (this is where things get a little more manual than most Google Ads experiences!).

For example, if you want to add multiple locations, you can enter them one at a time with “enter another location,” or in bulk with the “advanced search” section.

Advanced URL Options

When you’re creating a Google Performance Max Campaign, you must choose what URL you want to use.

URL options are important because, if you don’t toggle the option off, then Google will define its own final URLs. If you allow Google to send traffic to whatever links it sees fit, you can exclude links.

That is why it is important to understand the URL options and make sure you are making the best choice for your campaign. Otherwise, you could end up with lower quality traffic and less effective results.Performance Max URL Settings

“Asset Groups” (aka Ads)

After that, you’ll create an “asset group,” which is essentially an ad that works similarly to a responsive display asset.

Because it acts as an asset to all platforms, it’s referred to as an “asset group.” Advertisers also have the option of creating several of these asset groups.

Performance Max Asset Groups

Informing the Automated Targeting

There is just one set of targeting for each campaign (so no ad groups), but you can choose audiences to assist Google to figure out who it should target.

“Your ads will be presented to people who are most likely to convert for your goals,” Google says. “By supplying audience signals, you may speed up optimization.”

This means that your campaigns may not be limited to certain demographics; instead, Google is looking for signs in the audiences you supply. They’ll utilize that information to find consumers who are likely to share similar activities and interests.Performance Max Audiences

Tips to get the most out of the Google Performance Max Campaigns

Set Conversion Values

Setting conversion values is a key part of running a successful Google Performance Max campaign. By assigning values to different conversion goals, you can help the campaign automation understand which conversions are most important to your business.

This enables you to focus your resources on the areas that will produce the greatest return. Additionally, setting conversion values can help you track progress over time and identify potential areas for improvement.

Ultimately, taking the time to set conversion values is a helpful way to ensure that your Google Performance Max campaign is as successful as possible.

Choose Strategic Conversion Goals

When creating a Google Performance Max campaign, it is important to consider what goals are valuable to your organization. Every campaign will have different goals, so it is important to make sure that the ones you input are relevant to your company.

For example, if phone calls and YouTube ad clicks all contribute to your sales, make sure the Performance Max campaign is targeting and optimizing toward these specific goals. This results in being able to maximize your marketing ROI.

By mapping your campaigns to your organizational goals, you can ensure that your marketing efforts are having a positive impact on your bottom line.

Performance Max vs. Smart Shopping

If you’re an advertiser who hasn’t already made the switch to Google’s Performance Max campaign, don’t worry — you’ll be automatically converted soon. Performance Max is Google’s new and improved Smart Shopping campaign, designed to help you get the most out of your advertising spend.

With Performance Max, you’ll enjoy greater control over your budget, as well as more transparency and reporting options. And best of all, Performance Max is designed to help you maximize your ROI.

So if you’re looking for a more effective and efficient way to advertise on Google, make sure you switch to Performance Max today.

A New Campaign with Unique Advantages

Google Performance Max is a new type of campaign that builds on inventory and data insights given to advertisers. While this new campaign type doesn’t give advertisers access to all campaign data, it still offers some advantages over the traditional Smart Shopping campaign.

For example, Performance Max campaigns can be customized to target specific products and inventory, making them more relevant to potential customers. In addition, Performance Max campaigns also offer more robust reporting tools, which can help advertisers track the performance of their campaigns and make necessary adjustments.

Overall, while Performance Max campaigns may not be the best of the best option for every advertiser (agencies and companies), they still offer some benefits that could make them worth considering.

When Should You Use Performance Max?

Google Performance Max is a good option for in-house advertisers who want to set up a simple Google campaign without needing to delve too much into strategy. It is especially well suited for smaller businesses that may not have the resources to invest in a more complex campaign.

Advertisers who want to appear across all of Google’s advertising platforms can use Performance Max, which allows them to do so from a single campaign. With Performance Max, you can set your budget and let Google handle the rest, ensuring that your ad reaches the right people at the right time.

What’s more, you can monitor your campaign’s performance and make adjustments as needed, meaning that you always know what’s working and what isn’t. So if you’re looking for a turnkey solution that will allow you to get up and running quickly.

However…

Performance Max does not provide established shops with the same growth prospects as other campaign management choices. Advertisers who use Google’s automatic bidding system may miss out on important campaign data and find it more difficult to compete in their industry.

Conclusion

Google Performance Max is a new type of campaign that builds on inventory and data insights given to advertisers. While this new campaign type doesn’t give advertisers access to the complete campaign data, it still offers some advantages over the traditional Smart Shopping campaign.

For example, Performance Max campaigns can be customized to target specific products and inventory, making them more relevant to potential customers. In addition, Performance Max campaigns also offer more robust reporting tools, which can help advertisers track the performance of their campaigns and make necessary adjustments.

Overall, while Performance Max campaigns may not be the best of the best option for every advertiser (agencies and companies), they still offer some benefits that could make them worth considering. Advertisers who want to appear across all of Google’s advertising platforms can use Performance Max, which allows them to do so from a single campaign.

What’s more, you can monitor your campaign’s performance and make adjustments as needed, meaning that you always know what’s working and what isn’t. So if you’re looking for a turnkey solution that will allow you to get up and running quickly, Performance Max might be right for you.

Optimum7 can help you with switching over to Performance Max Campaigns, contact us if you need help.

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