Google Ads Launches New Performance Max Features

It’s no secret that Google is pushing Performance Max campaigns on advertisers.

In fact, Performance Max campaigns are replacing Smart Shopping and Local campaigns by the end of Q3 2022.

As the newer campaign type emerges as one of the new standards, Google is adding new features to help advertisers with this big change.

The New Features, Explained

Google has announced three new features that will be rolling out in the coming weeks. These features include:

• A new customer acquisition goal type
• Consumer interest insights
• One-click upgrade tool

Let’s go a bit further into each feature.

#1: Customer Acquisition Goal

While the Customer Acquisition goal type is new to Performance Max, it’s not new to Google Ads.

Customer Acquisition goals were available with Smart Shopping campaigns to start. With the forced migration over to Performance Max, Google is now making this available for that campaign type.

The goal type will allow you to do one of two things:

• Bid for more new customers that are similar to existing customers
• Focus on optimizations on new customers only, while maintaining cost efficiency

#2: Customer Interest Insights

In the next few weeks, Google is rolling out Customer Interest Insights to the Insights page in Google Ads. This update will allow you to see search themes that are driving conversions.

This is a big deal because currently, there are no such insights in Performance Max campaigns. There has been very little details given to advertisers on what’s driving conversions.

An example of interest insights is below:

In addition, Google is launching asset audience insights. This will tell you how your specific text, image and video assets resonate with specific audience segments.

The last insight being added to Performance Max are diagnostic insights. This will show you any potential setup issues that are preventing your ads from showing.

If Google does identify an issue, a suggestion is listed to help solve the problem.

#3: One-Click Upgrade Tool

Google is rolling out the upgrade tool in phases. Over the next few weeks, you’ll get a notification in your Google Ads account when the one-click tool is available for your account.

You will be able to access this tool from the Recommendations page and the Campaigns page.

The rollout will start with Smart Shopping campaigns. Starting in June, you’ll be able to use it to upgrade Local campaigns.

When you use the tool to migrate, your respective campaigns will become a new and separate Performance Max campaign. All budgets, settings, and learnings from the previous campaigns will be transferred over.

In Summary

Today, customers have multiple devices and interact with brands on many channels. Gone are the days of a linear consumer journey.

Google understands the customer journey landscape has changed. These new features of Performance Max are aimed to find an optimal mix of inventory and ad formats to get you the best results.

While the one-click feature is meant to make advertisers’ lives easier, it is certainly aimed at newer marketers. Experienced marketers have had mixed feelings over the new campaign type, as well as mixed results.

If you haven’t tried Performance Max campaigns, try setting up a campaign by yourself first to understand the mechanisms of setup.

With automation so freely available, it can be extremely easy to make a setting change that isn’t aligned with your campaign goals. While the one-click tool can be a benefit to some, you’ll retain more insights by experiencing the Performance Max setup first-hand.

Source: Google

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