Since their introduction in 2018, Google Smart Shopping campaigns have been popular with advertisers seeking a streamlined way to promote their products across the Google Ads network. However, starting in July 2022, Google will phase out its Smart Shopping Campaigns, upgrading its customers’ accounts to a more powerful tool: Performance Max.
Naturally, this change will concern advertisers who’ve become comfortable with the existing platform. Learn how Performance Max builds upon the strengths of Smart Shopping campaigns and its potential benefits.
What Is Performance Max?
Performance Max campaigns are a significant evolution in Google Ads technology. They leverage Google’s automation capabilities to deliver your ads across its entire network, encompassing Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail and Discover. Therefore, it goes beyond the reach of Smart Shopping, which is primarily focused on Shopping results and remarketing campaigns. Let’s look at how Performance Max achieves this.
Leveraging Machine Learning
Performance Max campaigns utilize machine learning to optimize ad delivery and identify the most receptive audiences for your products. This means your ads can appear in front of potential customers across various channels, increasing your exposure and maximizing your return on ad spend (ROAS).
Creative Flexibility
Performance Max allows you to upload a wider range of ad assets, including text, images and videos. This flexibility gives the Google Ads system more material to work with, enabling it to create the most effective ad combinations for each platform.
Unified Campaign Management
Gone are the days of juggling separate campaigns for different channels. Performance Max offers a centralized platform to manage all your ad components, streamlining the creation and optimization process.
How Does This Affect Advertisers?
If you have utilized Smart Shopping campaigns and are relatively comfortable with the process, transitioning to Performance Max may seem daunting. However, you may be glad to know that Google recognizes that many advertisers will be concerned about the change, so it’s made the process as smooth as possible.
Automatic Upgrades
All existing Smart Shopping campaigns have been automatically upgraded to Performance Max as of September 2022. This means you don’t have to recreate your campaigns from scratch manually.
Preserved Settings
Most of your campaign settings, such as budget, goals and targeting parameters, will automatically transfer to your new Performance Max campaigns. This ensures continuity while allowing you to explore the new format’s expanded capabilities.
Performance Monitoring
Performance Max campaigns offer detailed performance metrics, allowing you to track key indicators, such as conversions, click-through rates and ROAS across all channels. This comprehensive data will help you refine your campaign strategy and optimize your budget allocation.
Benefits of Upgrading to Performance Max
While Smart Shopping campaigns were a valuable tool, Performance Max offers several advantages.
Increased Reach
Performance Max can show your ads across all of Google’s advertising channels. This opens doors to a wider audience pool, potentially leading to more website traffic and conversions.
Enhanced Efficiency
The automated nature of Performance Max frees up your time. This will allow you to focus on other aspects of your business while Google’s AI optimizes your ad delivery.
Improved Targeting
Performance Max leverages machine learning. Consequently, it can identify high-potential customer segments you may not have previously considered in your Smart Shopping campaigns.
Getting Started With Performance Max
If you haven’t explored Performance Max yet, here are some resources to get you started.
The Google Ads Help Center
The Google Ads Help Center is a comprehensive resource that provides detailed information about Performance Max campaigns. It includes setup instructions and best practices.
Google Ads Performance Max Webinars
Google Ads frequently hosts webinars specifically focused on Performance Max. These webinars provide detailed information and answer common advertiser questions. You can find recordings of past webinars or register for upcoming ones on the Google Ads website.
