--- title: "Performance Max" url: https://marketingsignals.com/service/pay-per-click/performance-max type: Page --- # Performance Max Google Performance Max agency running PMax campaigns with brand exclusions, search term and channel reporting, so you see where spend goes and what it adds. ## Google Performance Max Agency For PMax Campaigns You Can See Into Performance Max puts Search, Shopping, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail and Maps into one campaign, and left alone it can spend heavily on people who were already going to buy from you. We run Google Performance Max campaigns with brand exclusions, weekly search term reviews and channel reporting, so you can see where the budget goes and judge what it adds. Why Google Ads advertisers choose us ## Key Takeaways - For Sentric Music, our PPC work delivered a 53% increase in new accounts created and a 60% blended reduction in CPA. - Brand exclusions and exact match brand terms kept in Search stop Performance Max claiming sales your organic listing or brand campaign would have taken anyway. - You see spend split across Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail and Maps instead of one blended figure, because we read the channel performance report every week. - Incrementality tests compare sales with brand ads on and off, giving your finance director a figure for what Performance Max adds beyond existing demand. ## We’ve Helped Dozens Of Great Brands Grow Their Digital Presence Via Search Marketing ## Performance Max is only as good as what you feed it and what you check. Performance Max is Google's goal-based campaign type. One campaign can serve ads across all Google Ads inventory, and Google's AI decides which channel, placement and creative each auction gets. That makes it good at finding conversions. It also makes it easy for a campaign to report a strong ROAS while quietly collecting brand searches, returning customers and remarketing traffic that would have converted anyway. Our [pay per click](https://marketingsignals.com/service/pay-per-click) team treats Performance Max as one part of a planned account, not a replacement for it. We set the inputs that steer it (conversion values, asset groups, audience signals, search themes and your product feed), add the exclusions that keep it honest and read the search term and channel reports every week. Where it overlaps with [Google Ads management](https://marketingsignals.com/service/pay-per-click/google-ads-management) or [Google Shopping](https://marketingsignals.com/service/pay-per-click/google-shopping), we decide which campaign should own each query. Then we test whether it adds sales. Our guide to [Performance Max best practices without losing control](https://marketingsignals.com/insights/performance-max-best-practices-brand-exclusions) sets out how we structure it, and our [brand bidding incrementality test](https://marketingsignals.com/insights/brand-bidding-incrementality-test) is how we check that spend on your own name earns its place. Why Choose Us ## Senior Specialists. Every Search Term Read. Profit In The Report. ## Clear Inputs. Honest Measurement. ### The Account Plan Before The Campaign **We decide what Performance Max should be paid to find before we let it spend.** Most Performance Max problems start at setup: every conversion valued the same, one asset group for the whole catalogue, brand terms left open and no plan for how it sits beside Search and Shopping. We begin with your margins, your customer data and your existing account, then build each campaign with a defined job, such as new customer revenue on one product range, and a measure to hold it to. - Conversion values that reflect margin, not just revenue - Asset groups split by product range, theme or audience - Brand exclusions on Search and Shopping inventory - Search terms reviewed and negatives added weekly - Channel performance read before budgets change - Incrementality tested, not assumed #### Asset Groups And Feed Structure Asset groups are collections of text, images, logos and videos that Google combines into ads for each placement. We split them by product range, price band or customer theme, so reporting means something and the creative matches what people are looking for. For retailers we choose between feed-only asset groups, which rely on assets generated from your Merchant Center feed and have limited reach, and full asset groups that can also serve on YouTube, Display and Discover. #### Audience Signals And Search Themes Audience signals are suggestions, not targeting. Google states that Performance Max may show ads to relevant audiences outside your signals, so we use your customer lists, site visitors and custom segments to speed up learning rather than to fence the campaign in. Search themes, up to 50 per asset group, tell Google which topics lead to sales. We use them to fill gaps the search terms report reveals, and they respect your brand exclusions. #### Brand Exclusions And Search Overlap Left open, Performance Max can serve on your brand name and claim sales your organic listing or brand Search campaign would have taken anyway. Brand exclusions, built from account-level brand lists that cover misspellings and variants, stop it serving on your brand across Search and Shopping inventory. Google also prefers a Search keyword that exactly matches the query over Performance Max, so we keep exact match brand terms in Search, where they can be measured cleanly. #### Search Term And Channel Reporting Performance Max now has a search terms report and a channel performance report, and we read both. Search terms show which queries triggered your ads, segmented by ad format, and we block poor matches with account or campaign-level negative keywords. The channel report splits results across Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail, Maps and search partners, with ads using product data shown separately, so we can see whether video and display spend is earning conversions. ### Performance Max Tied To Profit ## Our Performance Max Services #### Performance Max Audits We review conversion goals and values, asset group structure, feed health, audience signals, search themes, brand exclusions and negatives. Then we check the search terms and channel reports for spend leaking into brand queries, irrelevant searches or low-value placements. You get a ranked list of fixes with the expected effect on cost and revenue, and a clear view on whether Performance Max is the right campaign type for each product line at all. #### Campaign And Asset Group Builds We build each campaign around one clear goal and each asset group around how your customers buy, by category, price band or theme, with listing groups that keep products in the right place. Every asset group gets headlines, descriptions, images and video chosen for it. We also review the assets Google creates through text customisation and final URL expansion, and remove any that misrepresent your offer or send people to the wrong page. #### Feed-Only And Full Asset Strategy A retail asset group can run on your Merchant Center feed alone, using assets generated from it, though Google notes that reach and performance will be limited. That can be the right call when you want the campaign to stay product-led. Full asset groups open up YouTube, Display and Discover. We test the two side by side by product range and read the channel report before scaling either. Feed quality matters in both, so this work runs with our [Google Shopping](https://marketingsignals.com/service/pay-per-click/google-shopping) specialists. #### New Customer Acquisition Google's customer acquisition goal can value new customers more highly, set a separate priority for high-value new customers or bid for new customers only. It depends on your first-party data, so we connect [customer lists](https://marketingsignals.com/insights/customer-match-google-ads-first-party-lists) and your site tag first, then choose the mode against your acquisition targets. Google recommends new customer only mode just for strict acquisition budgets, with a separate campaign for existing customers. We report new and returning revenue separately so the trade-off is visible. #### Brand Protection And Incrementality We add brand exclusions, keep exact match brand terms in Search and then test whether brand spend adds anything. Our [incrementality testing approach](https://marketingsignals.com/insights/brand-bidding-incrementality-test) compares sales with brand ads on and off across regions or periods, so you know what Performance Max adds once existing brand demand is taken out. The result is a figure your finance director can check, rather than a ROAS inflated by people who were already searching for you. #### Search Terms And Negative Keywords Each week we read the Performance Max search terms report, segmented by ad format, and add negative keywords at account or campaign level for Search and Shopping inventory. Shared negative keyword lists keep exclusions consistent across campaigns. For Display and Video, where keyword negatives do not apply, we use excluded content keywords. Converting terms that Performance Max finds become search themes, new text assets or Search keywords, and they feed our [SEO and PPC planning](https://marketingsignals.com/insights/ppc-and-seo-strategy-converting-search-terms). #### Channel And Asset Reporting We report Performance Max by channel, asset group and asset, using the channel performance report and full asset statistics, alongside new and returning customer revenue. You see where spend went, which creative earned conversions and what changed this month. Reporting is tied to revenue and leads, and our PPC management is a [fixed fee rather than a percentage of ad spend](https://marketingsignals.com/insights/ppc-management-fees-percentage-of-ad-spend), so we have no reason to push your budget up. Whether you need a Performance Max agency to run campaigns end to end, a fresh look at a campaign that has stopped scaling, or a specialist to work beside your in-house team, the work covers the same ground: inputs, controls, reporting and proof. Many engagements start with a [PPC audit](https://marketingsignals.com/service/pay-per-click/ppc-audit) of the whole account. Featured Work ## Paid Search Work That Cut Costs And Grew Revenue ## What Performance Max Management Delivers For The Business ### Budget Aimed At New Demand Brand exclusions and customer list exclusions keep spend on people who were not already on their way to buy from you. ### Channel Spend You Can See Results split across Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail, Maps and search partners, instead of one blended figure. ### Cleaner Search Traffic Search terms are reviewed every week and poor matches blocked, so budget is not spent on queries that do not fit your offer. ### Bidding Led By Profit Conversion values set from margin mean Google chases profitable sales, not just large baskets. ### Creative That Fits The Brand Asset groups get copy and imagery chosen for them, and generated assets are reviewed and removed where they misrepresent you. ### Proof Of What It Adds Incrementality tests show what Performance Max adds once brand demand is removed, so budget decisions rest on evidence. The aim is a Performance Max campaign whose results you can explain: what it spent, where, on whom and what it added beyond the sales you would have made anyway. ## How Our Performance Max Work Runs, Step By Step ### 1. Audit And Baseline We review tracking, conversion values, feed, structure and the search terms and channel reports, then set a baseline for new customer revenue and brand overlap. ### 2. Rebuild The Inputs We restructure asset groups, add brand exclusions and negatives, set audience signals and search themes and correct conversion values. ### 3. Read And Refine Weekly Each week we read search term, channel and asset reporting, block poor matches, replace weak assets and adjust targets. ### 4. Test And Report We run incrementality tests on brand and channel spend and report revenue, new customers and profit against the baseline every month. **4.9** from 130 reviews ## Don’t just take our word for it > “Marketing Signals is our kind of agency: they do what they say they are going to do. The team is responsive and has the ability to pivot onto different priorities throughout the yearly trading cycle. We are well on target to meet our own sales target on the back of their work.” > > Jamie Evans, Head of E-commerce > “I've worked with Marketing Signals on a few projects and always had great customer service, fast delivery and reliable quality. Definitely somebody who should be on your potential agency list for any future activity.” > > Rob Hughes, Director, Global SEO > “We have been working with Marketing Signals since 2015, after our previous agency had messed up. They helped reduce our average CPC and increase conversions, as well as helping us launch a separate site just for Drug Driving leads. We've never looked back and have referred them to many of our other business contacts.” > > Matthew Miller, Managing Director > “As a long-term client of Marketing Signals, I can confidently say their expertise in SEO and PPC is second to none. They deliver consistently good results from SEO and PPC and maintain excellent communication with us.” > > Sandra Carosi, Head of Marketing > “Gareth and the team immediately understood what we were looking for and the type of audience we wanted to attract. Through site changes, content improvements and lots of great PR pieces, we were able to significantly increase the number of leads we got from the organic channel.” > > David Weaver, Co-founder > “An excellent agency to work with and a perfect choice if you're looking to scale quickly.” > > Katie Owen, Founder ### What is Google Performance Max? Google Performance Max is a goal-based Google Ads campaign type that can serve ads across Search, Shopping, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail and Maps from a single campaign. You supply conversion goals, a budget and asset groups of text, images, logos and video, plus optional audience signals, search themes and a Merchant Center feed. Google's AI then decides where each ad shows and what to bid. It works best alongside keyword-led Search campaigns, with clear exclusions and reporting, rather than as a replacement for them. ### Will Performance Max cannibalise our brand search? It can. Without exclusions, Performance Max may serve on searches for your brand and take credit for sales your organic listing or brand Search campaign would have captured. Brand exclusions stop it serving on your brand across Search and Shopping inventory, and Google prefers a Search keyword that exactly matches the query over Performance Max. We set both, then [test whether brand ads add sales](https://marketingsignals.com/insights/brand-bidding-incrementality-test), so you are not paying for demand you already own. ### Can we see search terms and channel results in Performance Max? Yes. Google now provides a search terms report for all Performance Max campaigns, which can be segmented by ad format, with data from March 2023 onwards. A separate channel performance report, under Insights and reports, splits results across Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail, Maps and search partners and shows ads using product data separately. You still cannot set budgets by channel directly, so we use these reports to adjust assets, signals, exclusions and the feed, which changes where the campaign spends. ### Should we run feed-only or full asset Performance Max? It depends on the product range and the margin. A feed-only asset group relies on assets generated from your Merchant Center feed, which Google says limits reach and performance, but it keeps the campaign product-led. Full asset groups with your own images, video and copy can reach YouTube, Display and Discover as well. We often test both by product range, compare new customer revenue and profit and scale what wins. Our [Google Shopping](https://marketingsignals.com/service/pay-per-click/google-shopping) service covers the feed work behind either. ### Can Performance Max focus on new customers? Yes. Google's customer acquisition goal can bid higher for new customers, set a separate value for high-value new customers or bid for new customers only. It uses your first-party data, such as customer lists and your site tag, to tell new customers from existing ones, so that data needs to be connected first. Google recommends new customer only mode for strict acquisition budgets, paired with a separate campaign for existing customers. Google also now lets you exclude customer lists from Performance Max campaigns. ### Do you work as a Performance Max consultant alongside in-house teams? Yes. Some clients want a Performance Max agency to run campaigns end to end. Others have an in-house PPC team and want senior specialists to audit, restructure and test, then hand back. Marketing Signals is a Google Partner, and we charge a fixed fee for PPC management rather than a percentage of ad spend. If you are comparing suppliers, our [ranking of UK PPC agencies](https://marketingsignals.com/insights/best-ppc-agency-2027-the-top-uk-pay-per-click-agencies-ranked) sets out what to look for. ## The Answers to Your Questions Visibility Playbooks ## Related Playbooks Paid search for long sales cycles, with lead quality fed back from your CRM so bidding chases pipeline. Google Shopping, Performance Max and Search for online retailers, run on revenue, ROAS and margin. A full Google Ads and Microsoft Ads audit: tracking, structure, search terms and waste, with a ranked fix list. Google Ads for law firms by case type and intent, tracked to new clients and written within advertising rules. Fixed-fee Google Ads management: clean account structure, Smart Bidding trained on real sales and leads, and search terms kept tight to protect your CPA. More Specialist Services ## Ready To See Inside Your Performance Max? Talk to our senior PPC team about where your Performance Max budget goes today and what it adds beyond the sales you would make anyway.