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Performance Max uses Google's AI to serve your ads across Search, Shopping, Display, YouTube, Discover, Gmail, and Maps, all from a single campaign. In 2026, PMax has evolved with campaign-level negative keywords, demographic exclusions, device targeting, asset group reporting, and High Value Customer Mode. We make it work properly.
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Performance Max is Google's most powerful, and most misunderstood, campaign type. It uses AI to serve your ads across every Google-owned channel simultaneously: Search, Shopping, Display, YouTube, Discover, Gmail, and Maps. When managed properly, it delivers full-funnel performance at scale. When managed badly, it wastes budget on low-quality placements with zero transparency. The difference comes down to inputs, controls, and knowing when to trust the AI versus when to override it. That's where we come in.
One campaign, seven channels. PMax places your ads across Search text, Shopping listings, YouTube video, Display banners, Discover feed, Gmail promotions, and Google Maps, with Google's AI deciding the optimal mix based on real-time signals. We structure asset groups so each channel gets relevant creative.
One of the most requested features, now available to all advertisers. We implement comprehensive negative keyword lists that prevent PMax from bidding on irrelevant, branded (where needed), or competitor search queries, giving you control that was previously impossible.
Audience signals guide PMax's AI toward your ideal customers, Custom Segments, Customer Match lists, in-market audiences, and website visitors. High Value Customer Mode uses your Customer Match data to identify and bid more aggressively for users likely to become high lifetime value customers.
We build segmented asset groups, each with dedicated headlines, descriptions, images, videos, and audience signals. In 2026, asset group reporting shows performance breakdowns by device, time, and conversion type, and all data is downloadable for external analysis.
Brand exclusions with separate controls for Shopping vs Search text ads. Brand guidelines for colours, fonts, and tone of voice. URL expansion limits. Search themes that direct the AI toward specific query types. We configure every available control to keep PMax focused and on-brand.
The biggest question with PMax: is it genuinely finding new customers, or cannibalising your existing Search and Shopping campaigns? We run Google's built-in PMax experiments alongside manual campaigns to prove incremental lift before scaling budget. No guesswork, data-driven decisions.
PMax isn't a set-and-forget campaign. It requires strategic inputs, ongoing optimisation, and constant vigilance over where your budget actually goes.
We define clear campaign objectives, build segmented asset groups aligned to your product lines or services, configure audience signals from your CRM and analytics data, set up search themes to guide query targeting, and implement comprehensive negative keyword lists. For e-commerce, product feed quality is audited and optimised before PMax touches it.
PMax requires diverse creative assets, headlines, long headlines, descriptions, images in multiple sizes, logos, and ideally video. We develop assets for each asset group, use Google's Generative AI tools (including Nano Banana Pro for image generation and Veo for image-to-video) alongside human-crafted creative, and configure brand guidelines so AI-generated variations stay on-brand.
PMax needs sufficient budget and conversion volume to exit the learning phase. We manage the learning period carefully, maintaining stable budgets, avoiding major changes, and monitoring early performance signals. Conversion tracking verified with Enhanced Conversions and Consent Mode v2 before launch.
Ongoing asset performance review, audience signal refinement, search term analysis (via insights reports and Search Partner Network reports), negative keyword additions, and budget reallocation. We run incrementality experiments comparing PMax against manual Search and Shopping campaigns. All tracked through Gorilla Reports.
Every control, signal, and optimisation lever available in Performance Max.
Search, Shopping, Display, YouTube, Discover, Gmail, and Maps from one campaign.
Comprehensive negative lists preventing irrelevant query matching.
Custom Segments, Customer Match, in-market, and website visitor signals.
Predicting and bidding more for users with high lifetime value potential.
Segmented creative groups with dedicated headlines, images, videos, and audiences.
Performance by device, time, conversion type, downloadable for external analysis.
Directing the AI toward specific query categories alongside automated discovery.
Separate controls for Shopping vs Search text ad brand exclusions.
Colours, fonts, tone, restricted phrases, and approved terminology enforced.
Restricting or allowing AI to use final URLs beyond your specified landing pages.
Nano Banana Pro images and Veo video generation within Asset Studio.
Age bracket exclusions (18-24, 65+) now available in beta.
Computer, mobile, and tablet targeting customisation in beta.
Built-in A/B tests proving PMax lift vs manual campaigns.
Server-side tracking with Consent Mode v2 for accurate attribution.
Channel-level and asset-level performance tracked in Gorilla Reports.
The strategic reality of PMax in 2026, what's improved, what's still lacking, and how to make it work.
