Google has introduced key updates to Performance Max (PMax) campaigns, offering advertisers more control, better budget management, and improved search data insights. These changes help marketers optimize their ad performance more effectively.
More Control Over Google Ad Placements
For a long time, Google said that advertisers couldn’t use API (Application Programming Interfaces) tools to block specific websites or apps from showing their Performance Max ads. But recent research from Optmyzr proved that wasn’t true.
In an experiment from December 30 to January 21, advertisers used API-based placement exclusions to prevent their ads from appearing on certain sites—and it worked. Their ads didn’t spend any money on those excluded placements, proving that API controls do, in fact, work. This update means advertisers now have more control over where their ads appear, helping them protect their brand and avoid wasting ad spend on unwanted placements.
Key Points of PMax and API Placement Exclusions
- API exclusions work, despite Google’s earlier claims.
- Excluding placements via API is faster and more effective than using the manual UI (user interface).
- Advertisers should test platform capabilities rather than rely on official documentation.
PMax Budget Reallocation Experiments
Starting January 2025, Google allows advertisers to test shifting budgets from Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) and Display campaigns to PMax. With this new feature, businesses can compare the performance of PMax campaigns against traditional campaign types.
How PMax Experiments Work
- Go to the Google Ads Campaigns section and open Experiments.
- Select “Performance Max Experiments.”
- Choose a DSA or Display campaign for comparison.
- Set traffic split and budget allocations.
- Run the test and analyze results.
This tool helps advertisers make data-driven budget decisions, maximizing return on ad spend (ROAS).
Search Terms Now Marked as “Private”
On January 21, advertisers noticed a change in how Google reports search terms in PMax campaigns. Queries with less than 50 unique searches in 90 days are now labelled as “private.” While this limits granular data, it provides some insight into low-volume keywords.
Why This PMax Search Term Update Matters
The search terms report helps advertisers understand long-tail search trends and provides some visibility into Google’s “black box” of search data. With low-volume terms now marked as private, there is less data available to optimize campaigns, especially for businesses in niche industries with low search volume.
Stay Ahead with Foundery
With these PMax updates, advertisers have gained some ability to refine campaigns and boost results, but they have also lost some data insights on low-volume search terms. Navigating these changes effectively requires expertise and a strategic approach. At Foundery, we help businesses maximize their advertising potential by leveraging the latest updates to better optimize campaign performance.
Want to take full advantage of these PMax Updates?
