Google has recently unveiled new features for Performance Max, emphasizing the introduction of campaign-level negative keywords. This development has sparked varied reactions among PPC marketers. A balanced approach seems to be overlooked, one where the outcomes rely heavily on the mindset of marketers using these tools.
I’m appreciative that Google is attentive and providing us with more control. In this discussion, I’ll delve into situations where these new tools are beneficial.
At its core, Performance Max isn’t centered on keywords but on understanding the traffic it generates and its methods.
With Google’s recent announcements, let’s examine what could potentially change.
### The changes: What’s coming to Performance Max
Google introduced updates encompassing various ad technologies, but those specific to Performance Max were noteworthy for reversing a trend where Google limited advertiser control and transparency.
These updates include:
– Campaign-level negative keywords (self-serve beta) by the end of the year.
– Impression share reports for Search and Shopping ads.
– Reports and suggestions for underperforming asset groups.
– Insights into target pacing for CPA and ROAS goals.
– A continued rollout of asset-level conversion metrics.
The full list of announcements, including features for Gemini and Demand Gen, was shared by Ginny Marvin.
### The story so far: Performance Max is not for everyone
Previously, an account’s advertising and business requirements greatly influenced whether Performance Max was suitable.
For example, large-budget mass retailers face different challenges compared to emerging private label brands that were initially Meta-focused.
Reasons why Performance Max may not suit some accounts include:
– Weak or no audience signals
– Lack of offline conversion data
– Inexperienced account managers
– Lead generation with multiple stages
Each factor could contribute to suboptimal results in Performance Max, which heavily depends on strong data inputs. However, once these newly announced controls become available, many limitations will likely be addressed.
### The next chapter: Campaign-level negative keywords make Performance Max more viable
While Google’s addition of campaign-level negative keywords to Performance Max is a positive step, marketers should be cautious about over-reliance.
The essence of Performance Max is not over-optimizing keywords, but providing appropriate inputs – such as product data, audience signals, and conversion tracking – to filter out ineffective strategies.
These changes are particularly helpful in certain situations, like working with lead-gen campaigns in specific sectors. Until now, Performance Max was avoided in some cases due to traffic that was unlikely to convert.
These updates allow for the launch of Performance Max more confidently in campaigns with limited budgets or weak signals without offline tracking. You can now apply negative keywords upfront to avoid ineffective traffic.
Though Performance Max might eventually identify ineffective strategies with accurate conversion tracking and data signals, sometimes it’s more efficient to block them initially instead of spending resources during the learning phase.
Smaller ecommerce brands with initial phase financial constraints could benefit, as they can block ineffective elements before the system eventually learns through data accumulation.
### Allocate budget more wisely with impression share reporting
The introduction of impression share reporting is a welcome enhancement, previously unavailable in Performance Max. It provides valuable insights that enhance campaign viability.
Prior to this, only click share was available, providing limited data on ad performance. If marketers want insights on the percentage of shopping or search ads where their accounts appear, it was not possible.
With impression share, you can see potential ad reach, helping to decide when to increase budgets wisely and avoid spending on less convertible traffic types like display ads.
### Conclusion
Whether Google’s future updates increase or decrease advertiser control, focusing on positivity can be beneficial. For instance, Gemini now allows up to five reference images for outputs and brand guidelines that add control over fonts and colors.
Although these updates were part of recent announcements, they’ve received limited attention concerning their potential to improve results.
We should invest more time in the creative aspects of the industry rather than criticizing, especially as advertising platforms strive to rebuild trust.
