About Google Ads Performance Max campaigns

This article describes the full Google Ads Performance Max feature functionality, which will be released in phases. Learn more about functionality and the release schedule.

Google Ads Performance Max is a campaign type in the new Search Ads 360, that allows advertisers who use Google Ads to maximize performance and simplify campaign management. Google Ads Performance Max is designed to complement your keyword-based search campaigns and help you find more converting customers across all of Google's channels, such as YouTube, Display, Search, Discover, Gmail, and Maps. Google Performance Max uses a combination of Google AI and strategic performance operators — such as audience signals, scheduling, custom assets, and auction-time bidding — to generate clicks and increase conversion value from a single campaign. Learn more about Google Ads Performance Max in the Google Ads Help Center.

Example

Prita wants to optimize results on the new Search Ads 360 while expanding reach and increasing conversions. Google Ads Performance Max allows Prita to automate many of the processes that otherwise would require a lot of manual setup and campaign adjustment, such as:

• Delivering dynamic ads across multiple inventory channels (beyond Search).
• Customizing Floodlight values to optimize toward the advertiser's sales and lead goals.
• Assigning budgets and automating optimal bidding based on the likelihood of Floodlight conversions.
• Achieving multiple campaign objectives by setting up more than one Google Ads Performance Max campaign, (for example, use a Google Merchant Center feed to inform conversions in one campaign and use offline conversion tracking in another).

Combining all these features, Prita is excited to evaluate the data and gather insights to build better creatives, deliver ads to the highest performing channels, and identify the most relevant and interested audience, resulting in a comprehensive marketing strategy for a portfolio of advertisers.

Google Ads Performance Max Functionality

Maximize goal-based bidding with Floodlight

Combine the features of Floodlight conversion goals with Google’s auction-bidding and AI technology to increase conversion rates and return on ad spend (ROAS). Apply different marketing strategies to each Google Ads Performance Max campaign:

• Online sales: Assign goals based on Floodlight conversions; link your Google Merchant Center feeds, and upgrade existing Smart Shopping campaigns.
• Lead generation: Administer your first universal campaign available for lead generation that optimizes toward lead quality.
• Offline Sales: Include your offline sales data in your campaign goals, and automatically deliver ads to customers who have converted through offline channels.

Discover insights with transparent reporting

Evaluate how Google’s technology delivers on your goals with reports that segment by campaign settings:

• Find channels and inventory where you drive more conversions.
• Uncover which elements (and combinations) of your creative assets perform the best and swap things out to improve your creative performance.
• For customers who use Campaign Manager 360 and Display & Video 360, run a cross-platform analysis to inform your broader marketing objectives and business strategy.
• Discover the value of your ads that show up along the conversion pathway with data-driven conversion reports.
• Placement reports show where your ads have served, giving insight into which inventory to target.

Learn more about Performance Max measurement.

Gain access to new inventory and audiences

• Go beyond Google Search, and reach converting customers across all of Google's channels, such as YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail, and Maps.
• Find new customer segments by assigning audience signals to your campaign and allowing Google’s AI to pair this with customer intent and preferences.

Expand your creative assets

Deliver a variety of image, text, and video ads to your target audience from a single campaign. Preview your ads, create dynamic headlines and descriptions, and upload a diverse set of images to reach your customers across inventory channels.

Ready? Get started by upgrading your Smart Shopping campaigns or creating a Google Ads Performance Max campaign in the new Search Ads 360.

Related functionality from the previous Search Ads 360

Google Ads Performance Max is now available in the new Search Ads 360 platform, with the ability to integrate your bidding and budget, optimize toward sub-manager account conversions, and report on performance across campaigns and channels. Before the upgrade, these campaigns were managed and maintained directly in Google Ads using Google Ads conversion tracking, reporting, and bidding. 

There are two things you need to do before setting up your first campaign:

• Confirm that your bidding has been migrated to the new Search Ads 360 and that your Floodlight conversions are shared with Google Ads.
• Check that you’re eligible to upgrade your Smart Shopping campaigns.

If your advertiser uses Google Ads Conversion Tracking, you can continue to set things up in Google Ads.

Release schedule

The following table describes functionality and availability for Google Ads Performance Max campaigns:

Availability	Functionality
Available today (requires conversion-data sharing with Google Ads)	The new Search Ads 360 sub-manager conversions optimization using Google Merchant Center feeds and standard bid strategies, such as driving online sales Reach customers across Google Ads inventory Smart Shopping campaign upgrade Support for Google Ads Performance Max campaigns in the new Search Ads 360 portfolio bid strategies, including CPA/ROAS and portfolio optimization Access to portfolio reporting Campaign support in Bidding and Planning, including budget bid strategies
Available later in 2023	Bid strategy support for Google Ads Conversion Tracking goals Value rules in portfolio bid strategies