Performance Max uses Google AI to help you drive growth in conversions and value through bidding, targeting, creatives and attribution. It's designed to perform across a wide range of marketing objectives and media channels. Because of this, we recommend using the following tips to help set up your Performance Max campaigns for online sales (non-shopping) for success.
This article explains best practices for Performance Max campaigns for online sales (non-shopping).
For additional best practices, review:
- Best practices for all business types
- Best practices for lead generation
- Best practices for shop goals
- Best practices for retail advertisers with online sales goals using a Merchant Center feed
Campaign setup
- Campaign duration: Run campaigns for at least six weeks to allow Google AI time to ramp up and curate sufficient data to compare performance.
- Audience signal: Performance Max is powered by Google AI. Use relevant audience lists as signals to speed up Google AI ramp-up and help enhance your campaign’s results. Use remarketing lists, custom intent, Customer Match and similar segments as signals.
As announced on 1 November 2022, Similar Audiences will transition to more durable solutions. Changes started on 1 May 2023, that affect the way that similar segments are used in Google Ads. Learn more about the changes to audience targeting.
- Assets: Use as many assets as possible. Add at least 20 text assets (15 headlines, 5 descriptions), at least 7 image assets (3 landscape images, 3 square images, and 1 portrait image) and at least 1 video asset (either your own or one created using the video creation tool during campaign setup) to your asset group. Learn more about how to Build an asset group.
- Asset Group: Separating asset groups by content category/theme/language or target audience – you can have multiple in the same campaign
Creatives
- Quality creative: Creative is your most powerful tool to help drive performance and allows you to customise the campaign to promote new products or new offers. For the best results, focus on providing unique content.
- Refresh creative strategically: Creative is your most powerful tool to drive performance, and allows you to customise your ads to relevant audiences.
- Ramp-up time: Give your assets a chance to ramp up on performance – allow 3–4 weeks for performance and insights to develop before optimising your creative component mix.
- Low-performing assets: A good rule of thumb is to check in on your asset ratings 1x a quarter to refresh specific outdated or 'low' performing assets as needed. Note, you can replace 'Low' assets after 3–4 weeks, but bear in mind that frequent changes can result in performance fluctuations.
- Weekend sales: Start the campaign 2–3 weeks in advance, then refresh your creative frequently to move from more generic shop creative to sales-focused creative. This strategy will allow you to do time-based promotions without compromising performance.
- Visual Inventory: Customers use visual sources online for inspiration about what to buy. Use visual inventory to target new customers.
Reporting
- Ad strength: Ad strength can be found by clicking Ads in the 'Campaign' drop-down from the left-side page menu, then reviewing the 'Ad strength' column. The metric ranges from 'Poor' to 'Excellent'. Use the 'Ad Strength' indicator to determine if an asset group is set up for success.
