Google Search or Performance Max?

Summary

In this video, Aaron Young from Define Digital Academy guides viewers on choosing between Google Search and Performance Max campaigns for 2024. He advises starting with Google Search for new advertisers and those needing precise ad control. Discussing the pros and cons, he highlights the differences in targeting and ad types between the two. Young emphasizes the importance of having at least 30 monthly conversions before launching Performance Max for optimal results, showcasing the impact of conversion data on campaign success.

Takeaways

• 📈 **Start with Google Search**: If you're new to Google Ads, begin with Google Search campaigns before considering Performance Max.
• 🔍 **Keyword Targeting**: Google Search campaigns offer precise control over keywords, while Performance Max uses keywords more as suggestions.
• 💼 **Regulatory Considerations**: For industries with strict ad copy and keyword regulations, Google Search is recommended over Performance Max.
• 📊 **Conversion Data Importance**: Performance Max campaigns should only be initiated after accumulating sufficient conversion data, ideally 30 conversions per month.
• 🚀 **Performance Max for Scale**: Performance Max is designed to find more conversions and works best when there's a strong conversion history in the account.
• 📱 **Multiple Ad Formats**: Performance Max campaigns can include not only text ads but also shopping, image, and video ads across various networks.
• 🌐 **Wider Reach**: Unlike Search campaigns that are limited to the search network, Performance Max can display ads on search, display, maps, Gmail, and YouTube.
• 📉 **Slow Start for New Accounts**: Accounts starting with Performance Max without prior conversion data can experience slow conversion rates and higher costs.
• 💡 **Strategic Introduction**: Introducing Performance Max after establishing a solid conversion base in an account can lead to immediate and scalable results.
• 📚 **Resource for Success**: For a detailed strategy guide on setting up Google Ads campaigns, follow the link in the video description to access the guide.

Q & A

What are the three core questions to consider when deciding between Google Search and Performance Max campaigns?

The three core questions are: 1) What is your current situation with Google Ads? 2) What are the pros and cons of each campaign type? 3) How many conversions are you currently generating in Google Ads?

Why should beginners start with Google Search instead of Performance Max?

Beginners should start with Google Search because it offers more control over keywords, ad copy, and targeting, which is beneficial for those new to Google Ads. Performance Max should be considered after the first 3 to 6 months.

What is the main difference between a Google Search campaign and a Performance Max campaign?

Google Search campaigns focus on targeting specific keywords with high control over ad copy and targeting. Performance Max campaigns, on the other hand, target users across various networks (search, display, maps, Gmail, YouTube) based on demographics and audiences, with less control over keywords and ad copy.

Why is it important to have a significant amount of conversion data before starting a Performance Max campaign?

Having a significant amount of conversion data allows Performance Max to build an ideal customer persona and target similar audiences effectively. Without enough data, Google has to run extensive tests, which can be expensive and time-consuming.

What is the recommended minimum number of conversions per month before starting a Performance Max campaign?

It is recommended to have at least 30 conversions per month before starting a Performance Max campaign to ensure Google has enough data to effectively target similar audiences.

How does the lack of conversion data impact the effectiveness of a Performance Max campaign?

Without sufficient conversion data, Performance Max campaigns may struggle to find the right audience, leading to slower conversion rates and potentially higher costs before achieving a return on investment.

What are some industries where Performance Max might not be suitable due to regulations?

Industries with strict regulations on ad copy and keyword targeting, such as superannuation and retirement funds, might find Performance Max unsuitable because it requires more control over ad placement and messaging.

What is the main advantage of Google Search campaigns over Performance Max campaigns?

The main advantage of Google Search campaigns is the high level of control advertisers have over keywords, ad copy, and audience targeting, which is crucial for businesses that require precision in their advertising efforts.

How does Performance Max leverage user data to target ads?

Performance Max uses existing conversion data to understand user demographics and behaviors, then targets similar audiences across various Google networks to find more conversions.

What additional resources are offered by the speaker for those interested in learning more about Google Ads strategies?

The speaker offers a 'How to Win at Google Ads' strategy guide, which can be accessed by following the link in the video description.

What are some of the key differences in ad formats between Google Search and Performance Max campaigns?

Google Search campaigns primarily use text-based ads on the search network, while Performance Max campaigns can include text, shopping, image-based, and video ads across search, display, maps, Gmail, and YouTube.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Choosing Between Google Search and Performance Max

The video discusses the decision between using Google Search or Performance Max campaigns in 2024. It suggests considering three core questions: your current situation, the pros and cons of each campaign type, and the number of conversions you're generating. The video is particularly aimed at non-e-commerce businesses but also beneficial for e-commerce brands that use search. The presenter recommends starting with Google Search for new advertisers and introduces a strategy guide for further assistance. They emphasize that Google Search allows for precise targeting with keywords, while Performance Max targets a broader audience, including those not actively searching for your product, which could be both a pro and a con.

05:01

📊 Pros and Cons of Search vs Performance Max Campaigns

This section delves into the pros and cons of Google Search and Performance Max campaigns. Google Search campaigns offer high control over keywords and ad copy, making them suitable for businesses needing precise targeting. In contrast, Performance Max campaigns have broader reach, including display networks and YouTube, but with less control over targeting. The video also highlights that Performance Max is not ideal for industries with strict ad regulations. It stresses the importance of having at least 30 conversions per month before starting a Performance Max campaign to ensure Google has enough data to effectively target similar audiences.

10:02

📈 The Importance of Conversion Data for Performance Max

The final part of the script emphasizes the necessity of having substantial conversion data before launching a Performance Max campaign. The presenter shares an example of two different accounts: one that started with Performance Max without conversion data and another where Performance Max was introduced after establishing a strong conversion base. The latter approach yielded immediate and cost-effective results, illustrating the importance of conversion data in optimizing Performance Max campaigns. The video concludes with a reminder to access the Google Ads strategy guide for planning the best approach for one's business.

Keywords

💡Google Search

Google Search refers to the traditional form of Google Ads where advertisers target specific keywords, write ad copy, and select landing pages. It is the core of what people imagine when they think of Google Ads. In the video, it is recommended for beginners and for those needing precise control over ad targeting, as it allows advertisers to select keywords and has a direct correlation with user search queries.

💡Performance Max

Performance Max is a newer type of Google Ads campaign that operates across various Google networks, including search, display, and YouTube. It is designed to find more conversions by targeting not only keywords but also demographics and audiences. The video suggests that it's suitable for advertisers with established conversion data, as it requires a significant amount of conversion history to effectively target the right audiences.

💡Conversions

Conversions are the actions that advertisers aim for users to take after clicking on their ads, such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter. The video emphasizes the importance of having a substantial number of conversions (at least 30 per month) before starting a Performance Max campaign, as this data helps Google to build an ideal customer persona and target similar audiences more effectively.

💡Ad Copy

Ad copy is the text that appears in an advertisement. The video discusses the level of control advertisers have over ad copy in different campaign types. In Google Search campaigns, advertisers have high control, allowing them to craft messages that align closely with the targeted keywords. In contrast, Performance Max campaigns offer less control, as the system uses machine learning to optimize ad delivery.

💡Auction

An auction in the context of Google Ads refers to the process by which ads are served to users. Advertisers bid on keywords, and the ads with the highest bids and quality scores are shown. The video mentions that in Google Search campaigns, advertisers directly target keywords and their ads go into an auction to be displayed on the search results page.

💡Demographics

Demographics in the video refer to the statistical characteristics of human populations, such as age, gender, or income level. Performance Max campaigns use demographic data to target ads to users who match the profile of the advertiser's best customers. This is different from Google Search campaigns, which focus more on user intent shown through search queries.

💡E-commerce

E-commerce is the buying and selling of goods or services using the internet. The video is particularly aimed at non-e-commerce businesses but notes that e-commerce businesses that also use search campaigns can benefit from the advice given. A separate video is promised to address e-commerce businesses' specific needs regarding Shopping and Performance Max campaigns.

💡Coaching Appointments

Coaching appointments are mentioned as a part of the process the speaker uses when reviewing Google Ads accounts. These appointments likely involve consulting with clients to analyze their current ad strategies and provide tailored advice. The video suggests that the speaker's strategy guide can help viewers replicate this process for their own or their clients' businesses.

💡Regulations

Regulations in the video refer to the legal restrictions or guidelines that certain industries must follow, especially regarding ad content and targeting. It is noted that businesses in regulated industries might find Performance Max less suitable due to the less precise control over ad targeting and copy, which could lead to non-compliance with regulations.

💡Conversion Data

Conversion data is the collection of information related to user actions that constitute a conversion. The video stresses the importance of having a substantial amount of conversion data before starting a Performance Max campaign. This data is crucial for Google's machine learning algorithms to effectively find and target similar audiences that are likely to convert.

Highlights

Decide between Google search and Performance Max based on three core questions: current situation, pros and cons of each campaign type, and current conversion rates.

For new Google ads users or first-time campaigns, start with Google search campaigns.

Performance Max campaigns should be considered after the first 4 to 6 months of running Google ads.

Google search campaigns offer more control over keywords, ad copy, and landing pages.

Performance Max campaigns operate differently, targeting users based on demographics and audiences, not just keywords.

Performance Max can display ads on various networks, including search, display, maps, Gmail, and YouTube.

Businesses with strict regulations on ad copy and keyword targeting should stick with Google search campaigns.

A minimum of 30 conversions per month is recommended before starting a Performance Max campaign.

Performance Max campaigns require sufficient conversion data to effectively target similar audiences.

Examples of two accounts are provided to illustrate the difference between starting with Performance Max versus introducing it after establishing conversion data.

A strong conversion history in Google ads account is crucial for the success of Performance Max campaigns.

Aaron Young from Define Digital Academy offers a guide on how to win at Google ads strategy.

The guide helps evaluate the best campaign type and account structure for a business.

For e-commerce businesses, a similar video will be released to discuss Shopping vs. Performance Max in 2024.

The video provides a high-level strategy for reviewing Google ads accounts and deciding on campaign types.

Aaron Young emphasizes the importance of setting up campaigns correctly for success, with separate videos for search and Performance Max setup.

Transcripts

in this video I'm going to be letting

you know whether you should be using

Google search or performance Max in 2024

and the learning is going to start right

now now to answer this you need to look

at Three core questions and the first

one is what is your current situation

the second one is is that we need to

look at the pros and cons of each type

of campaign and then finally we need to

look at how many conversions you're

currently generating in Google ads now

while this video will be suitable for

anyone who is running a Google ads

campaign it is going to be more suitable

for people who are not focusing on

e-commerce but if you are an e-commerce

business don't stress because in a

couple of weeks I'm going to be

releasing a similar Style video breaking

down whether you should be using

shopping or performance Max in 2024 but

having said that you will still find

this video very very valuable especially

if you're an Ecom brand that does use

some search now the process I'm going to

take you through is this is a high level

strategy that we take through when I

review any accounts through different

coaching appointments or if we're taking

on the management of an account this is

the process that we go through and if

you want to be able to do this exact

process in your own business or for some

of your client businesses I want you to

follow that link in the description

below because you can then get my how to

win a Google ads strategy guide and this

is a booklet which I've put together

which really allows you to really

evaluate what type of campaigns and what

account structure is going to be the

best for your business business and as I

said if you want to get free access to

that guide just follow that link in the

description below now let's answer the

first of those questions and that is

your current situation and this is very

much in regards to Google ads and what I

mean by that is that are you just

starting at Google ads and if this is

your first campaign that you're running

for this business or your client's

business I would definitely start with

Google search and I would not even think

about using performance Max and the

absolute earliest that I would bring

performance Max in would be after the

first 3 months but real ically it's

after about the first 4 to 6 months so

if you're new to Google ads this is a

really really simple answer and the

answer is is that you need to start with

Google Search now to expand out on that

further we need to look at the different

pros and cons of each type of campaign

now the reason for why this is so

important is because as you would

probably be aware that a Google search

campaign is very very different to a

performance Max campaign with a Google

search campaign that is very much what

if you say Google ads to someone this is

what they imagined it's the original

type of Google ads campaign it very much

functions how people think Google ADS

works in that the business targets

individual keywords with those keywords

they then write their ad copy and then

they select the landing page which they

want the user to go to so it's all about

targeting keywords and then getting your

ads to be clicked on so that you can

sell your products or Services now there

has been some different changes and

updates and keyword match types have

changed and new types of AD copies have

been brought in over the close to 20

years that Google ads has been around

but that process Still Remains the Same

for a search campaign in that at its

core The Advertiser selects the keywords

writes the ad copy and then their ads go

into an auction to send people through

to that landing page but a performance

Max campaign is very very different and

the reason for why it's different is

that by you giving keywords they're not

really what Google targets yes Google

takes it as a suggestion but the way

that performance Max has been designed

is that for selecting where to trigger

your ad it doesn't only happen on the

search Network it can also happen in the

Display Network and because Google is

also targeting users not by keywords but

also by demographics and audiences your

ads could be shown to people who have

never even searched for your product or

have even heard of your brand now that's

not necessarily a bad thing but it's

just something to keep in mind so what I

want to do right now to explain this out

further let's jump into a quick screen

share so we can go through and finer

details some of the pros and cons of

these different types of campaigns so

what we're going to be looking at

between search and performance Max

campaigns is we're going to be looking

at the keyword and audience targeting

how much control you have over the ad

copy and the different types of

conversion endpoints that you could be

using so for a search campaign as we

said you've got a really high level of

control over the keywords and also the

audience targeting if you really want to

get technical you can actually block

certain audiences you can also add

negative keywords and you've got a high

level of control over the ad copy

whereas for a performance Max campaign

as I said before you have have a real

level low control now you can add in

what performance Max CA signals but it's

really really important to note that

they're just really suggestions they're

not the keyword targeting that you can

use in a Google search you also can't

add in direct negative keywords yes you

can exclude different URLs you can add

in brand exclusions you can also contact

Google to get some manual keywords but

it's not the same as what you can do on

a search campaign and the same with the

ad cop you don't have the same level of

control now you could argue that the

conversion end points are the same on

both types of campaigns although

performance Max you do also have your

local campaigns so your St visits and

map directions once again you can do

that in search but that is going to be

much easier to do inside of performance

Max and it's also important to note

about the different types of ads where

your ads will show and what I want to

show from here is obviously for search

it's only text based ads which is

searching on the search Network and for

performance Max it's not just text Bas

ads there's also shopping ads if you

have them image based ads so they appear

on the dis play Network Google Maps and

video ads so it even appears on YouTube

so unlike with a search campaign where

your ads only appear on the search

Network for performance Max they display

on search display maps Gmail and YouTube

so as you can see the search campaigns

and performance Max campaigns are very

very different now the other thing that

I would add there if that you are in a

business or an industry that has some

strong regulations around the type of AD

copy that you can show and the type of

keywords that your ads can appear for

that's also going to be another red flag

for performance Max let me give you a

perfect example for a client that we are

working for here in Australia for some

different superannuation and retirement

funds performance Max is just not an

option because of the regulations around

ad copies and also keyword targeting the

company really need to stay with search

so that they could guarantee that they

weren't going to get any regulation fins

so it is really really important to know

that when you're deciding whether to use

search or performance Max that you are

cover in both of those areas now that

brings us down to the last question or

consideration that you need to use in

order to make the decision as to whether

you're going to be using search or

performance Max so as a wrap-up so far

if you're new to Google ads and this is

your first campaign start with search

not performance Max and if you have any

regulation concerns and you have to have

greater control over your ad copy and

your ad placement you also need to stay

with search and not performance Max and

this then brings us to the third

consideration in that I would not be

starting a performance Max campaign

until we have enough conversion data in

your account and the reason for why

that's so important is remember when we

were talking about just before about how

performance Max Works got to remember

that performance Max is designed to find

more conversions remember that

performance Max could Target your ads to

someone who is not even searching for

your product or service and may have no

awareness of your brand the way that

performance Max does that is it looks at

the the current conversions and it looks

at their audiences and their

demographics so it builds out an ideal

customer Persona and then from there it

targets similar audiences with the

problem being is that if you don't have

enough conversion data in your account

Google has to run that testing by itself

and it can actually get quite expensive

and timec consuming so as a rule I would

not be starting a performance Max

campaign until you're seeing at least 30

conversions every month which is why I

say generally for performance Max you're

not starting it until 5 or 6 months down

the track now why 30 conversions in 30

days and that comes from internal data

that we've been running and we've just

seen that if we started performance Max

where it's been getting 30 conversions

every month we find that's a much better

environment to launch performance Max

what I'm going to show you right now is

I'm going to show you an example of two

different accounts one of them started

with performance Max and only new

performance Max so no conversion data

while the other one we introduced

performance Max after we had a really

strong basis of conversion actions let's

jump into the screen share so I can show

you the Stark difference between these

two campaigns what I'm showing you here

first this is the campaign that we

started with performance Max so it had

no other account data in there there was

no other campaigns that have been

running so this was the very first

campaign we ran in this account and you

can see through here that the

conversions got off really slow we

started advertising in February we got

two conversions in March 23 in April and

then we started to get up a good level

of conversions but you can see here it

took quite a bit of money to get those

results There Was You Know 3 and 1/2

spent 2 and 1/2 spent and then another 3

and A2 spent it was just short of

$10,000 before we really started to

break even with this account it also

took 4 months to get that data versus

with another account that we introduced

performance Max and you can see that

when we introduced performance Max and

this is in a weekly review so you can

see right from the very first week we

were getting conversions straight away

so we started spending money and we got

conversions and then the results also

did continue and we were able to scale

it you can see it was very very much

immediate in the results and if we break

this down to a daily view you can see

that once again right from the very

first day we started to see those

conversions come on in but what I want

to show you through here is I've just

now moved it over to all of the

campaigns and you can see we didn't

start performance Max till here but we

had a high level of conversions coming

into that account and that's why

performance Max works so well in that

account so the last thing you need to do

before you start performance Max

campaign is make sure that you've got a

high level of conversion data in your

Google ads account so that you can see

those best results thank you for joining

me it's been an absolute pleasure having

you here and remember if you want to get

access to my how to win a Google ads

planner so that you can plan the best

strategy for your business make sure you

follow that link in the description

below my name is Aaron Young and I'm

from Define Digital Academy now whether

you're going to be using search or

performance Max for Success you need to

make sure that those campaigns are set

up the right way so if you want to make

sure that you're using the correct setup

and structure for your search campaigns

go through and watch this video right

here or if you want to make sure that

you're using the correct setup and

structure for your performance Max

campaigns go through and watch this

video right here thanks again see you

next time