Performance max campaigns are a type of Google Ads campaign that focus on maximizing your conversion rate, rather than your click-through rate. While they can be effective, they are not a replacement for your keyword campaigns.
Keyword campaigns are important because they help you to target your ads to people who are actually searching for what you have to offer. Performance max campaigns may help you to get more conversions, but they will not necessarily help you to reach your target audience.
Keyword campaigns – don’t replace these with Performance Max campaigns
Google Ads performance max campaigns are not a replacement for your current keyword-based campaigns as they are designed to work alongside these campaigns to help you get the most out of your advertising spend.
You should continue to use your keyword-based campaigns to drive traffic to your website and use performance max campaigns to supplement this traffic.
The main difference between the two types of campaign is that performance max campaigns are designed to get you the most conversions for your spend, while keyword based campaigns are designed to get you the most traffic.
If you are looking for a way to get more conversions from your Google Ads spend, then performance max campaigns are worth considering.
When it comes to your Google Ads campaigns, don’t ditch your keyword campaigns in favor of performance max campaigns. Here’s why:
1. Performance max campaigns can be more expensive.
With performance max campaigns, you’re essentially paying Google to manage your campaign for you. That means you’ll likely see an increase in your costs-per-click (CPCs) and cost-per-acquisition (CPAs) as you don’t have full control over these campaigns.
2. You lose control of your campaign.
When you hand over the reins to Google, you lose control of your campaign. That means you won’t be able to make changes or tweaks as needed. You’ll also be at the mercy of Google’s algorithm, which can change at any time.
3. You could miss out on valuable data.
With performance max campaigns, you won’t have access to as much data as you would with a keyword campaign. That data is important for understanding what’s working and what isn’t, so you can make necessary changes to improve your results.
4. You might not reach your target audience.
With performance max campaigns, your ads will be served to whoever Google thinks is most likely to convert. That might not be your ideal target audience. With keyword campaigns, on the other hand, you have more control over who sees your ads.
5. Your results could be short-lived.
Google can (and does) change the algorithms that power performance max campaigns at any time. That means the results you see today could be gone tomorrow. With keyword campaigns, you have a bit more stability and predictability.
Conclusion
Performance max campaigns are designed to be used in addition to your current google campaigns, not as a replacement. The main reason for this is that performance max campaigns are designed to focus on a specific goal, such as increasing conversions, while your current google campaigns may be focused on other goals, such as brand awareness. Additionally, performance max campaigns are typically shorter in duration than your current google campaigns, so they cannot provide the same level of exposure and reach.
References
1. https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/