Google Performance Max: When to Use It and When to Avoid It

When PMax wins

Ecommerce with clean product feeds, 50+ conversions/week, and a strong brand search stream. PMax finds demand you weren't reaching with manual campaigns.

When PMax is a trap

Lead gen without lead scoring, service businesses without location feeds, or accounts with fewer than 50 conversions/week. You'll burn budget on low-intent placements.

Mitigating cannibalization

Always exclude branded search via negative keywords. Use asset groups to direct PMax at specific intent. Report non-branded and branded separately.

Our PMax audit checklist

Clean feed, conversion value by product category, brand-search exclusion, asset group structure, and weekly creative refreshes. Miss any and results collapse.