Google Ads Tutorials: How to upgrade your Smart Shopping and Local campaigns to Performance Max

Summary

Performance Max is a new Google Ads campaign type that expands on Smart Shopping and Local campaigns, offering enhanced reach, goals, and insights. It integrates across YouTube, Display, Search, and more, making it easier for omnichannel retailers to manage their online and offline presence in one place. The video walks users through upgrading their existing campaigns to Performance Max, either in bulk or individually, and explains how to track progress and access historical data. The upgrade process is simple, and users are notified once their campaigns are fully upgraded.

Takeaways

• 😀 Performance Max helps businesses capture cross-channel opportunities, integrating online and offline sales across platforms like YouTube, Display, Search, and Discover.
• 😀 This campaign type builds upon existing Smart Shopping and Local campaigns, offering additional reach, goals, and insights for better performance.
• 😀 Performance Max uses Google's automation to unlock more inventory and formats, improving your ability to drive online sales and store visits.
• 😀 Omnichannel retailers can manage both online and offline store presence with a single campaign through Performance Max.
• 😀 The upgrade to Performance Max can be done through notifications or the Recommendations page in Google Ads.
• 😀 Users can either upgrade all campaigns at once or select specific campaigns to upgrade individually, depending on their needs.
• 😀 Bulk upgrading can be done easily via the Notifications panel or Recommendations page, with clear options to confirm and apply the changes.
• 😀 When upgrading campaigns, all associated assets, settings, and budgets are carried over to the new Performance Max campaign.
• 😀 After upgrading, users will be notified when the process is complete, which typically takes less than a day.
• 😀 Existing Smart Shopping and Local campaigns will continue running until the upgrade is fully completed, preserving historical data and performance learnings.
• 😀 The new Performance Max campaign is linked to the old Smart Shopping or Local campaign, allowing users to view past campaign data while optimizing for future results.

Q & A

What is Performance Max and how does it enhance Smart Shopping and Local campaigns?

Performance Max is the next generation of Smart Shopping and Local campaigns. It builds on existing features while providing additional reach, goals, and insights. It leverages Google's automation to unlock new inventory and formats across multiple channels, such as YouTube, Display, Search, and Discover, to drive both online sales and in-store visits.

How does Performance Max help businesses manage their omnichannel presence?

Performance Max allows omnichannel retailers to manage their online and offline store presence through a single campaign in Google Ads. It simplifies the management of campaigns across various channels to capture cross-channel opportunities more effectively.

What steps are involved in upgrading Smart Shopping and Local campaigns to Performance Max?

To upgrade, first visit your Google Ads account. Once the self-upgrade tool becomes available, a notification will prompt you to upgrade. You can either bulk upgrade all campaigns or select specific campaigns to upgrade. The process is straightforward and can be done via the Notifications panel, Recommendations page, or Campaigns page.

How can you bulk upgrade all campaigns to Performance Max?

To bulk upgrade, go to the Notifications panel or Recommendations page in Google Ads. From there, you can click the 'Apply All' button to upgrade all Smart Shopping or Local campaigns to Performance Max at once. If you have both campaign types, you will need to upgrade them separately.

What happens after you upgrade your campaigns to Performance Max?

After upgrading, your Smart Shopping and Local campaigns will be replaced by new independent Performance Max campaigns. These new campaigns will continue to optimize based on your existing online sales or in-store goals. The settings, budgets, and assets from the previous campaigns are carried over, ensuring continuity in performance.

Can you upgrade only specific campaigns to Performance Max?

Yes, you can choose to upgrade only specific campaigns. To do so, visit the Recommendations page or Campaigns page, where you can select individual campaigns to upgrade. After selecting, you simply click 'Apply' to confirm the upgrade for those campaigns.

How long does it typically take for the upgrade to complete?

The upgrade process usually takes less than a day. You will be notified once the upgrade is fully complete.

What happens to the old campaigns after upgrading to Performance Max?

Once upgraded, the old Smart Shopping or Local campaigns will no longer be editable and will be removed. However, these old campaigns will still be linked to the new Performance Max campaigns, allowing you to view historical data from them.

How can you access historical data after upgrading to Performance Max?

After upgrading, you can view historical data by clicking on the new Performance Max campaign in your Google Ads account. You'll have the option to view the linked old Smart Shopping or Local campaign, giving you access to its data.

What should you do if you need more information or assistance with Performance Max?

For more details, frequently asked questions, and best practices, you can visit the Google Ads Help Center. There, you'll find a wealth of resources to help you get the most out of Performance Max campaigns.