It’s not even a year since Google released Performance Max as a campaign type on their ads platform, and it is already set to replace some of Google’s popular campaign types. Google plans to replace Local campaigns and Smart Shopping with Performance Max by the end of Q3 in 2022. This indicates that Google considers Performance Max as an integral part of its ads business moving into the future. As such, advertisers need to get to grips with PMAX as it is the future of digital marketing on Google platforms.
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Launched in November 2021, Performance Max is a goal-centric campaign type that also allows advertisers to access the full range of Google Ads inventory. Performance Max is designed to complement keyword-based search campaigns by enabling advertisers to create ads that appear on Search, YouTube, Display, Gmail, Map, and Discover.
Further to this, PMAX is automated. Advertisers only have to choose their intended advertisement goals/objectives. Performance Max uses a large variety of Google’s automaton tech in budget optimisation, bidding, audiences, creatives, attribution, etc., to display your ads to an audience that’s likely to convert based on your specified conversion goal.
In effect, PMAX marks a shift to simplicity in using Google advertisement platforms. With PMAX, Google is moving away from the traditional model of using Google adverts. Advertisers had to learn and understand a complex advert campaign language revolving around keywords, CPC, etc. Instead, Google is taking up the challenge of understanding the advertisers’ goals and working to meet their business objectives. Advertisers only need to specify their goals, and PMAX will work to deliver on the intended purposes.
In a case study involving AssistCard, Performance Max campaigns turned out to have 15X higher conversion rates when compared to other campaign types while keeping campaign goals the same. Additionally, PMAX had a 40% lower cost per acquisition (CPA).
Australia’s MoneyMe used Performance Max to reach ‘high-intent consumers’ across Google’s channels, thereby driving more qualified leads to their products. This resulted in a 22% increase in conversions and more than $800,000 in revenue while reducing the cost per acquisition by 20%.
MotorK Case Study – This leading automotive sales and marketing technology company used performance Max to increase qualified leads by 24% at a comparable cost per acquisition to Display and Search.
Performance Max has numerous options and controls, allowing advertisers to optimise their campaigns exactly how they want. It’s important to note that Google continues to develop this campaign type and will most likely add or change the options and controls moving into the future.
This is the first option after selecting Performance Max. The Budget and Bidding control allows you to set a budget for your campaign.
You also get to select the bidding strategy, where you can choose max conversions or max value. Alternatively, you can set a
specific value/conversion, or you can set a max CPA.
The following section on setting up PMAX campaigns is the location configuration. While you can set the location using the Google Ads editor, you can set up the target location using the “enter another location” option. This allows you to choose the locations to target.
After that, you can select the target language and set the ad schedule. Finally, select the campaign run dates.
In this section, you can specify the URL Google should send traffic to. You can specify the URL of the page you want all your traffic to be directed to if you want your ad traffic to visit a particular page.
However, by default, Google will send traffic to the link it considers the best option. You can still exclude links that Google shouldn’t direct traffic to.
Next, you’ll be directed to the Asset Group control, where you’ll create your ads. While the ads will be similar to a responsive display,
you’ll create ads targeting different channels. The Asset Group will contain ads that Google will serve across all its channels.
Additionally, you have the option to create multiple asset groups.
For this section, Google allows you to provide PMAX with audience signals to speed up the optimisation process. With the lack of ad groups, Google uses your ‘Audience Signal’ to identify similar consumers likely to show the same interest and behaviours as your intended audience.
By providing audience signals, you make it easier for Google to look for the audience that will most likely convert based on your specified goal.
You can optionally include Ad Extensions. For instance, you can select the site link extension in your account for your PMAX campaigns. Alternatively, you can create new site link extensions for your Performance Max campaign.
Depending on your selected goal, PMAX will suggest lead form extensions, promotion extensions, price extensions, structured snippets, call extensions, and callouts extensions.
Ads Can Run Across All Google Channels – Performance Max gives advertisers access to all of Google’s advertising channels. PMAX gives you access to Search, Display, YouTube, Email, Map, and Discover channels.
Crucially, Google automatically optimises ad serving across the different channels, thereby serving the ads the audience is most likely to convert based on your specified goals Easier Google Ad Campaign Optimisation – Performance Max is built on the idea of one campaign being able to meet the advertisers’ marketing goals. Importantly, you do not have to set up and optimise different campaigns for every channel.
You don’t have to optimise the bidding process, the budget, or a myriad of other elements. PMAX allows novice and experienced advertisers to circumvent the learning curve.
Access New Audience Segment – Performance Max is built with features found in Local campaigns and Smart Shopping. It can use machine learning to understand consumer intent in real time.
This is highly beneficial as it allows ad placement for the right audience exactly when they’re looking for services and/or products that you provide.
Advertisers Can Report on the Campaign as a Whole – Just like all other campaign types, advertisers get a report on the general performance of their campaign. In this regard, you get reports on top-level campaign performance.
Advertisers can Report Location Performance – This report allows advertisers to understand the Performance of their campaign based on the targeted location. PMAX reporting can give you a breakdown of store reports if you run a chain of stores. This data is available when you set up location extensions.
Advertisers can Report on Performance based on Times – Performance Max can break down the performance of your campaign based on the hour, hour of the day, day, day of the week, or a combination of these pre-sets.
Advertisers Can Report On Placement – As of January 2022, Performance Max has a report on the platforms where Google has served ads. Additionally, the report gives advertisers insights into how many impressions every ad placement received.
Keep in mind that Performance Max reporting is bound to change. At the Google Marketing Livestream, Google noted that it’s taking steps to improve transparency on this Performance Max campaign type after receiving feedback from advertisers.
Performance Max has proved to be an effective ad campaign type for many advertisers. It is particularly effective in the following circumstances:
When you want cross-channel advertising – Performance Max automatically utilises the entire Google ads inventory from a single campaign. Most notably, Google optimises ad serving to enhance conversions based on specific conversion goals.
When you have a specific conversion goal – If your goal for advertising on Google channels is to drive sales, generate leads, sign-ups, or any other specific purpose, Performance Max is an excellent campaign type to use.
When you want to maximise your campaign – Performance Max allows you to maximise your campaign’s performance, especially when you’re not limited to advertising on specific Google channels.
When you want to supplement Keyword-based search performance – Given that Performance Max can serve ads across all of Google’s channels, you can use it to supplement the traditional search ads that rely on keywords.
Multi-Channel Advertisers – Performance Max is the perfect ad campaign for advertisers who want to use a mix of the different marketing channels that Google offers.
Novice Advertisers – Performance Max’s automated nature makes it easy to get started with and optimise your campaigns. Once you’ve set it up, you can leave it in place, and Google will continuously optimise ad serving to meet your specified goal.
In the short period since its launch, Performance Max has proven to be an effective campaign type. You can increase your conversion based on your goals while lowering the CPA, which can bolster your company’s profitability. Nonetheless, you need to optimise the campaign well to achieve the results that many other companies using Performance Max have achieved.
At ETRAFFIC, we are experienced in all aspects of advertising on Google, including using this goal-based campaign type. You can trust us to optimise your Performance Max campaigns, ensuring your ad dollars help you achieve the highest return on investment possible.
You can create Performance Max campaigns by selecting ‘New Campaign’ and then choosing the ‘Create a campaign without a goal’s guidance.’ You’ll get several campaign types to choose from on that page. Select the ‘Performance Max’ option to enable the Performance Max campaign.
Performance Max shows under the ‘Create a campaign without a goal’s guidance’ option when creating a new campaign in Google ads.
Yes. Google will replace Smart Shopping with a Performance Max campaign by the end of Q3 2022. Consequently, Google will automatically convert any Smart Shopping campaign to the new Performance Max campaign.
Performance Max provides a way to create and manage multiple, variant ad campaigns that are each optimised for specific goals. The platform’s algorithm automatically chooses the best campaign based on your needs so you don’t have to do anything except sit back and reap the benefits!
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As a trusted marketing agency we deliver proven marketing strategies to help your business grow. Stay in touch with ETRAFFIC on all our socials.
Copyright © 2022 Website Design by ETRAFFIC