PERFORMANCE MAX
Performance Max Campaigns, Guided by Real Data
Performance Max can reach your customers across all of Google from a single campaign. Left on autopilot, it can also spend your budget in places you’d never choose. We give it the right inputs, guardrails and data to work for your profit.
WHAT IT IS
One Campaign, Every Google Channel
Performance Max (PMax) is a Google Ads campaign type that uses Google’s AI to show your ads across Search, Shopping, YouTube, Display, Gmail, Discover and Maps, all from one campaign. You provide the goals, budget, creative assets and audience signals, and Google decides where and when to show your ads.
It’s powerful because it can find customers you’d miss with Search alone. But it learns only from the data you give it. With weak assets, poor tracking or no guardrails, it can chase cheap, low-quality conversions or spend heavily on your own brand name.
Our job is to give Performance Max the right inputs and keep it honest.
BEST SUITED TO
e-commerce stores with a product feed, and lead generation businesses with reliable conversion tracking and enough monthly conversions for the AI to learn from.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Everything Performance Max Needs to Perform
- Account and tracking review before launch, so the AI learns from the right conversions
- Asset groups organised by product category, service or audience
- Headlines, descriptions, images and video assets prepared for every placement
- Audience signals built from your customer lists, website visitors and search themes
- Merchant Center product feed review and optimisation (for e-commerce)
- Brand exclusions and negative keywords to protect your budget
- Final URL expansion control, so traffic lands on the right pages
- Conversion value and goal settings aligned with your real profit
- Weekly review of channel, search term and asset performance insights
- Clear monthly reporting in plain English
OUR PROCESS
How We Manage Performance Max
Audit the data
We check your conversion tracking and values first. Performance Max is only as good as the signals it learns from.
Structure
We plan asset groups around your products or services, so each one has a clear message and audience.
Create
We prepare the text, image and video assets, and build audience signals from your own data.
Protect
We add brand exclusions, negative keywords and URL controls so your budget goes where it should.
Optimise and scale
We review performance insights every week, replace weak assets, and scale budget only when results hold.
COMMON MISTAKES
Why Performance Max Often Disappoints
Bad conversion data
If PMax counts page views or newsletter sign-ups as conversions, it will chase them. We make sure it optimises for real leads and sales.
Cannibalising your brand
PMax can take credit for people who were already searching for your name. Brand exclusions keep the results honest.
One asset group for everything
Mixed products and messages confuse the AI. We separate them so each group has a clear goal.
Weak or missing assets
Without good images and video, Google fills the gaps automatically, often badly. We supply strong creative for every placement.
No audience signals
Starting from zero slows learning. We give PMax your best customer data from day one.
Judging it too early
PMax needs a learning period. We set clear checkpoints, so decisions are based on data, not a bad first week.
BEST FOR
Where Performance Max Works Best
Performance Max suits e-commerce stores and established lead generation accounts with solid tracking. For local service businesses, we usually build strong Search campaigns first and add PMax once there’s enough conversion data.
REAL RESULTS
Real Results From Our Client Accounts
1,742% ROAS · $3.78M Conversion Value
162K clicks from $217K ad spend · Aug 2025 – Feb 2026
Results shown are from iTractIT client accounts. Results vary by market, budget and industry and are not a guarantee of future performance.
Pricing
Our Google Ads packages start with a Google Search campaign. Performance Max depends on your products, assets and tracking, so we quote it on your free strategy call. Your ad spend is always paid directly to Google, never marked up.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Performance Max better than Search Ads?
Not always. Search gives you more control over exactly which searches you appear for. Performance Max reaches more people across more channels. Many accounts get the best results by running both, with Search covering your most important keywords.
How long does Performance Max take to work?
Plan for a learning period of around 4–6 weeks. Results often move up and down while the AI tests placements and audiences, so we judge performance on trends, not single days.
Do I need video for Performance Max?
It’s strongly recommended. If you don’t add a video, Google may create one automatically from your images, and those videos rarely represent your brand well. We can help you prepare simple, effective videos.
Can I see where my Performance Max ads are shown?
More than before. Google now reports on channel performance, search terms and assets, and we review these insights every week and include the key points in your report.
Is Performance Max right for a local service business?
Sometimes. If you already have reliable call and form tracking and a steady flow of conversions, it can find extra leads. If you’re just starting out, Search Ads and Local Services Ads are usually the better first step.
Free Strategy Call
Make Performance Max Work for Your Profit
Book a free 30-minute call. We’ll review your current campaigns and tracking and tell you honestly whether Performance Max is right for you.