Things to Avoid in Google Performance Max

Common Mistakes with Google Performance Max Campaigns

Performance Max can be a powerful tool for marketers, but it's easy to make mistakes if you don't know what you're doing. After making plenty of my own mistakes with Performance Max, I want to share some tips on what to avoid when setting up and managing your campaigns. This will help you get better results faster and make the most of your ad budget.

What is Performance Max?

• Performance Max campaigns run across Google's entire network including Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail and Maps.
• The system is highly automated and relies on machine learning to optimize campaigns. You have less control compared to other campaign types.
• Instead of creating ads, you upload assets like images, videos, headlines and descriptions into Asset Groups. Google then assembles ads for you using those assets.

Mistakes to Avoid

• Don't skip adding a video asset. Without one, Google may generate a low-quality, outdated looking video for you. Spend a little time creating a simple video in Canva or WeVideo instead.
• Limit your Asset Groups if your budget is small. Too many (like 20 for a $200 daily budget) means the system can't learn properly. Stick to 1-3 Asset Groups for small budgets.
• Don't just set Final URL expansion and forget it. Follow up to ensure dynamic ads use relevant text and land on appropriate pages.
• Use Presence, not Presence or Interest for location targeting. Interest can show your ads to people just researching, not actually in your area.
• Don't set unreasonable Performance Targets too early. Overly strict targets may cause spend to drop to near-zero before the system can learn.
• Inspect conversion quality for lead gen. Up to 20% of leads could be spam without checks. Use your CRM to assess lead relevance.
• Don't treat all ecommerce products equally. You may want to consider separating out lower-margin items into campaigns with lower targets.

Following these tips can help you get your Performance Max campaigns running smoothly and delivering results faster. Let me know if you have any other tips based on your own experience!

P.S. If your Performance Max campaign isn't getting clicks, check out this article!