Performance Max for E-commerce

In a nutshell, the Performance Max campaign is the next step in automation. It automatically searches for potential customers in multiple places. This no longer happens only in the search results and the display network but expands further to include text ads, impressions on YouTube, Gmail and via discovery ads.

Big advantage for you is thus a broader reach and more chances of new customers. A must-have for your e-commerce business.

With Performance Max campaigns you relinquish some control when you compare this with, for example, standard shopping campaigns and, to a lesser extent, Smart shopping. For example, it is no longer possible to set the cost-per-click at product level. Many parties are already used to this from Smart shopping but for many it remains an obstacle.

However, Google has a lot of data to determine the optimal cost-per-click in real time, this is almost impossible to do manually. To keep the Performance Max campaign running optimally, the following five components are important in setup and maintenance.

1. Optimal data delivery.

In order for Google's algorithm to do its job properly, it must know what works and what doesn't. Part of this is providing the campaign with sales statistics from Google Analytics, for example. In addition, it is possible to create target group lists based on website visitors or people who have made a purchase so that Google can create a profile of them to base the bidding on.

2. Campaign structure.

Will you build one campaign with all your products or will you spread your products over several campaigns? You need to think carefully about this. If you still have low sales volumes and therefore not much data, it may be wise to include all your products in one campaign. If you have different categories, brands or other segments with different objectives then dividing them into different Performance Max campaigns is a better idea.

3. Assets replenishment.

Within the campaign you can divide your products into asset groups(item groups) based on different characteristics. Each asset group can be complemented with ad text, logos, images and a video. Google uses these so-called assets to create different banner variants that are deployed.

4. Product data through the Merchant Center

By linking your webshop to the Google Merchant Center, you can submit your product data to Google. Think of titles, images, descriptions, prices and more. This can be done manually or automatically through an integrator such as Channable.

When you submit your product data in Google Merchant Center, you can also take advantage of Google's free listings (free listings) right away. Read all about free listings and how to set them up in this blog.

5. Targeting signals

In addition to using target groups based on website visitors or paying customers, you can provide multiple signals to Google to push the algorithm in the right direction. These include entering relevant keywords, website links from relevant websites where your target audience is located and more. This way, you help Google move in the right direction and your campaign will be up and running faster.

Now that you know what to consider when running a Performance Max campaign, here are the benefits.

• Broader ad placements thus potential for new customers
• Smarter bidding through Google automation
• Less micromanagement, more guidance on key issues
• Targeted based on chosen bidding strategies

Despite the fact that the new campaign type Performance Max can be set up automatically through Channable and will advertise for you in a largely automated way, it is not the case that you don't have to do anything about it or don't need any knowledge. As described, it is extra important to set everything up correctly and to provide the campaign with the right data.

Don't you have the knowledge to set everything up correctly or simply don't have the time? We are happy to help you on your way with the setup. Then the optimization starts. If you prefer to take over the reins yourself once everything is running smoothly then that is always possible.

Check out our Managed Service page for more information or request a scan through our contact page where we will give you insight into the potential and steps to take.