Hybrid Approach for Google Ads

If you’re starting from scratch with a new customer and the customer wants to dive into Performance Max, it’s essential to assess the maturity and goals of their account. Here’s how you can approach this:

Starting with Performance Max:

If the customer has no prior history or conversions, you can start with Performance Max, but there are some key considerations to keep in mind:

1. Advantages of Starting Directly with Performance Max:

? Broader Reach: Performance Max is designed to find conversions across all Google platforms (Search, Display, YouTube, etc.), which can be helpful if you want to gather data from various sources quickly.

? Automation: It leverages Google’s machine learning to optimize across multiple channels with minimal manual intervention.

? No Prior Data Needed: Performance Max can start working even without historical conversion data. You can use audience signals (e.g., customer intent, demographics, interests) to help guide the machine learning process while the algorithm gathers conversion data.

2. Challenges:

? Learning Period: Performance Max may take longer to optimize without historical data. Google’s algorithm relies on conversion data, so without it, the campaign may initially spend on less optimal clicks until it learns who the best audiences are.

? Lack of Control: You’ll have less visibility into the specific channels driving conversions because Performance Max automates across all Google properties.

Starting with Specific Search or Other Campaigns:

Alternatively, you could start with specific campaigns, such as Search or Display, to gather initial conversion data before launching Performance Max.

1. Advantages of Starting with Search Campaigns:

? More Control: With search campaigns, you can directly control the keywords, bids, and audience targeting, allowing you to build up data gradually.

? Faster Data Collection: Search campaigns often provide quicker feedback because you’re targeting intent-based queries. You can gather initial conversion data through targeted keywords and adjust strategies based on those insights.

? Better Tracking: You can easily track where conversions are coming from (specific keywords, ads) and refine campaigns accordingly. Once you have enough conversions, you can transfer these insights to Performance Max.

2. Transition to Performance Max Once Data Is Mature:

? Once you have enough conversions, you can gradually shift toward Performance Max, giving Google’s algorithm a solid foundation for optimizing.

? Audience signals from the initial campaigns (e.g., top-performing keywords, demographics, etc.) will be extremely useful in guiding the Performance Max campaign for quicker convergence.

Suggested Approach:

? Hybrid Strategy: A good strategy might start with specific search and display campaigns for more control and quicker insights while simultaneously setting up a Performance Max campaign.

? This way, you’re feeding Google’s algorithm with conversion data from the search/display campaigns while letting Performance Max slowly learn and improve.

? Once Performance Max gathers enough data, you can shift more of the budget toward it and potentially pause some specific campaigns if ix is outperforming them.

Key Factors to Consider:

? Customer’s Goal: Performance Max can work well if the goal is broad visibility and quick learning across multiple channels. Starting with search campaigns would be better if the customer initially prefers more control and targeted traffic.

? Ad Budget: Performance Max typically works best with a reasonable budget, so ensure the customer has the resources to support a campaign that covers multiple Google networks.

? Initial Conversion Tracking: Before starting either approach, ensure conversion tracking is correctly set up so you can collect the data that will help optimize campaigns over time.

My Recommendation:

Start with a hybrid approach. Run specific search campaigns (and perhaps display or video) to gather initial conversion data while launching a Performance Max campaign with strong audience signals. This allows the account time to mature while leveraging automation from the start.