Introducing the new Google Ads campaign type - Performance Max

In November 2021 Google officially launched a new campaign type called ‘Performance Max’ to all advertisers following its initial introduction in October 2020.

In this article we will cover what the new campaign type is, how it works, the benefits and everything you need in order to launch your very own Performance Max campaign within Google Ads.

What is a Performance Max campaign?

In a nutshell, performance max is a new goal-based campaign type that allows brands to advertise their products and services from a single campaign across several Google channels (YouTube, Display, Search, Discover, Gmail, and Maps).

The campaign is designed to increase conversions and value by optimising performance in real time and across multiple channels using automated bidding. The new campaign type is designed to compliment search campaigns, however unlike search campaigns performance max utilises URLs supplied by content, as opposed to keywords.

What are the benefits of a Performance Max campaign?

Better performance

Google Ads claims to use its best machine learning and attribution technology within the performance max campaign in order to find your customer at the right time with the right ad for even stronger performance.

Google's claims are certainly correct if some of our recent results are anything to go by. At cab engine we pride ourselves on driving growth for adaptable brands. So, as you would expect when we heard about the new ‘Performance Max’ campaign type we couldn't wait to see how it would perform, especially with the campaign using Google's best machine learning and attribution technology.

After trialing the Performance Max campaign with a client of ours we saw leads increased, average CPA (cost per acquisition) decreased and average CTR (click through rate) increased significantly in comparison to a co-running SMART campaign. The impressive results can be seen below:

More time to focus on the bigger picture

As the Performance Max campaign uses automated bidding this removes the manual work of targeting, bidding and ad copy. As a result this frees up more time to focus on strategy and impactful optimisations such as improving the creative assets.

Goal - focused campaign

The performance max campaign puts your marketing goals in focus in order to maximise the campaigns overall performance. Based on the goals you provide Google will use its highly intelligent machine learning to find your customers wherever they are across the Google network (YouTube, Display, Search, Discover, Gmail, and Maps).

What is required to launch a Performance Max campaign?

As with any Google Ads campaign type there are of course some requirements which need to be followed, these include media, ad copy and goal requirements.

Below is a checklist of everything you need to kickstart your very own Performance Max campaign.

• Google Ads Conversion
  Tracking Implemented
• Marketing Campaign Goals
• Geo-targets
• Budgets

Text Ads

• 3 x 30 character headline
• 2 x 90 character descriptions
• 1 x 90 character headline

Image Ads

• 1 x 600×316 landscape
• 1 x 300×300 square
• 1 x 314×314 square (for
  campaigns with Store Visits goal)
• 1 x 128×128 logo
• Recommended: 1200 × 628
• Max file size: 5,120KB

Video Ads

• At least 10 seconds in length (needs to be uploaded to YT prior to campaign launch)