Performance Max – 2 Years Later: How Do We Feel Now?

Performance Max (Pmax) campaigns were released into the Google Ads stack just under two years ago, with the promise of elevating campaign performance to a whole new level, with automated bidding and optimization, dynamic creatives, simplified campaign management, broad reach and advanced reporting. However, the initial reaction from advertisers was mixed, with many feeling that the campaign type lacked control and transparency.

In the months and years since its launch, Google has made a number of changes to Pmax in an effort to address these concerns. These changes have included the introduction of new features such as automatically created assets, Pmax experiments, and Pmax insights. As a result, there has been a growing acceptance of Pmax among advertisers, and it is now seen as a viable option for businesses of all sizes.

When Performance Max was first released, it was met with a number of challenges. One of the biggest concerns was the lack of control that advertisers had over their campaigns. This was due to the fact that Pmax uses Machine Learning to optimize campaigns, which means that advertisers have limited visibility into how their campaigns are performing.

Another concern was the lack of transparency and targeting. Advertisers were not able to see which assets were performing well or which audiences were being targeted. This made it difficult to track the performance of their campaigns and make necessary adjustments.

Targeting of Performance Max campaigns was (and still is) done very differently to standard campaigns. With the campaigns driving towards audience signals, and not a specific group of audiences, it was not clear how this would impact businesses that have very specific objectives and goals.

In response to these concerns, Google has made a number of changes to Performance Max. Expanded targeting options, such as custom audiences, remarketing lists and in market audiences and, improved reporting, offering more insights into conversion, conversion value and ROAS. These changes have made the campaign type more user friendly and transparent. For example, advertisers can now see which assets are performing well and which audiences are being targeted. They can also use new features such as Performance Max Experiments to test different campaign settings.

As AI continues to evolve, it is likely that Pmax will become even more sophisticated. This means that advertisers will have even less control over their campaigns, but they will also be able to achieve better results. In the future, Pmax is likely to become the default campaign type for many businesses. This is because it offers the potential to deliver significant performance improvements without requiring a lot of manual intervention.

Performance Max has come a long way since its launch two years ago. The campaign type is now more user friendly and transparent, and it offers the potential to deliver significant performance improvements. With the continuous evolution of AI, it is likely that Pmax will become even more sophisticated and powerful.

Here are some additional thoughts on the future of Performance Max:

Overall, the future of Performance Max looks bright. The campaign type has the potential to revolutionise the way that businesses advertise online. Best we not forget, Pmax is still a relatively new campaign type, and there is still some room for improvement. Let’s see what google has in store for us!