Performance Max Optimisation
Google's most powerful campaign type — but only when someone knows what they're doing with it.
Performance Max is probably running your ads right now
If you're running Google Ads for an e-commerce business, there's a good chance Performance Max is already one of your campaign types — or your agency has suggested switching to it. Google has been pushing it hard, and for good reason: when it works well, it can drive significant revenue across Shopping, Search, YouTube, Display, Gmail, and Discover all from a single campaign.
The catch is that “when it works well” requires genuine expertise. Google presents Performance Max as something you set up and let the AI handle. The reality, from managing these campaigns across 20+ e-commerce accounts, is that poorly managed PMax wastes budget on low-quality placements while cannibalising your other campaigns. The difference between a well-managed Performance Max campaign and a neglected one is typically 40–60% in return on ad spend.
I'm Peter Empson. I've been managing Google Ads for 25+ years and I'm a Google Partner. I manage all my clients' accounts personally. No junior staff, no account managers between us.
What Google shows you
One campaign. One set of numbers. No breakdown of where your budget went or which channels drove the sales.
What I show you
Spend and revenue broken down by channel — Shopping, Search, YouTube, Display, Gmail, Discover. Which channels are earning their keep, and which are consuming budget without returning value.
This level of visibility is the single biggest difference between managed and unmanaged Performance Max.
What goes wrong without expert management
Performance Max gives Google a lot of freedom to decide where your ads appear and who sees them. Without proper oversight, that freedom gets misused.
Budget disappears into Display and YouTube
Performance Max runs across every Google channel simultaneously. Left unchecked, a significant chunk of your budget can end up on low-quality Display placements and YouTube pre-rolls that look good in impression reports but generate almost no revenue. The campaign-level numbers can mask the fact that your Shopping performance — where the real sales happen — is being starved of budget.
Your Search campaigns get cannibalised
Performance Max can bid on search queries, which means it can compete with — and steal traffic from — your existing Search campaigns. If nobody's watching, you end up paying more for the same conversions you were already getting, while thinking Performance Max is “adding” revenue.
No visibility into what's actually working
Google bundles all Performance Max results together. Without the right tools and expertise, you can't see how much of your spend went to Shopping versus Display versus YouTube. You just get a single performance number with no way to know whether the campaign is genuinely finding new customers or just riding on existing demand.
The “learning phase” excuse
Google's algorithm needs time to learn — typically 4–6 weeks. Some agencies use this as a reason to avoid making changes or addressing poor performance. In reality, the learning phase requires active management: feeding the algorithm the right signals, monitoring where spend is going, and making targeted adjustments that guide it in the right direction.
How I manage Performance Max properly
I can see where your budget actually goes
I've built tools that break down Performance Max performance by individual channel — Shopping, Search, YouTube, Display, Gmail, Discover, and more. This means I can see exactly how much of your budget is driving real revenue through Shopping, and how much is being spent on lower-value placements. Google doesn't provide this natively. It's the single biggest advantage I have in managing these campaigns.
I structure campaigns around your business
A single Performance Max campaign for your entire product range is a recipe for waste. I segment campaigns based on what makes sense for your business — by product category, margin profile, or business priority — so that different parts of your catalogue get the strategy they need. High-margin bestsellers get aggressive investment. New products get measured testing. Low-margin accessories get managed conservatively.
I protect your existing campaigns
Performance Max and your Search campaigns need to coexist without competing against each other. I set up clear boundaries — through negative keywords, campaign priorities, and budget allocation — so that PMax is genuinely finding incremental revenue, not just claiming credit for sales your other campaigns would have generated anyway.
I manage your product feed properly
Performance Max for e-commerce is fundamentally driven by your product data. The quality of your product feed — titles, descriptions, images, categories — directly determines how well the campaign performs. I treat feed optimisation as an integral part of PMax management, not as someone else's problem. See also my Google Shopping management service for more on this.
Why an independent specialist for Performance Max?
With me
- Channel-level breakdown shows exactly where your budget goes
- Campaigns structured around your margins and business priorities
- Active protection against cannibalisation of your Search campaigns
- Product feed management included — not a separate charge
- You speak directly to the person managing your account
- 25+ years of paid search experience on every decision
With a typical agency
- Single campaign for everything — no segmentation
- No visibility into channel-level performance
- PMax set up and left on autopilot during “learning phase”
- Feed optimisation treated as the client's responsibility
- Junior account manager, not the expert who pitched
- Top-line reporting that hides where budget is really going
What kind of results should you expect?
Performance Max results vary significantly based on your product catalogue, margins, competition, and current account health. I don't quote generic benchmark figures because they're misleading — what matters is whether the campaign is generating profitable revenue for your specific business.
What I consistently see across the e-commerce accounts I manage: properly structured Performance Max campaigns outperform standard Shopping campaigns by finding genuinely incremental revenue across channels like YouTube and Display, while maintaining strong Shopping performance. Clients typically see meaningful improvement within the first 6–8 weeks, with peak performance after 12 weeks.
I'll give you an honest assessment before we start. If your current setup is already performing well, or if Performance Max isn't the right fit for your business, I'll tell you that.
What clients say
“Peter has supported SevenYays since launch in 2021 and has added a great deal of value. He is proactive in spotting both issues and opportunities.”
Andrew Staal
Founder, SevenYays
“Baker Ross paid search revenues and profit contribution are up 103% and 323% respectively in the first year. I look forward to continuing to work with Peter.”
Paul Giuffredi ACA, CFO
Finance Director, Baker Ross / Yellow Moon
“A great partner to work with on all paid advertising channels. Vast experience, knowledge and commercial wisdom. Great integrity and work ethic.”
Jean Grant
Senior Manager, Find Me A Gift
Frequently asked questions
What actually is Performance Max?
Performance Max is Google's campaign type that runs your ads across every Google channel at once — Shopping, Search, YouTube, Display, Gmail, Discover, and Maps. Instead of you choosing where ads appear, Google's AI decides based on who it thinks is most likely to buy. It can be very effective, but it needs expert oversight to make sure the AI is actually making good decisions with your budget.
Should I use Performance Max or standard Shopping?
It depends on your business. Performance Max works best when you have a strong product feed, enough sales data for the AI to learn from (roughly 30+ conversions per month), and you want to reach customers beyond just Google Shopping. Standard Shopping gives you more direct control. Many of my clients run both, with a clear strategy for each. I'll advise on the right approach for your situation.
Will Performance Max compete with my other campaigns?
It can, and this is one of the most common problems I see. Without proper management, PMax will bid on the same search queries as your Search campaigns, effectively competing with yourself. I prevent this through negative keyword management and careful campaign structuring, so that PMax is genuinely finding new revenue rather than claiming credit for existing sales.
How do you know where the budget is going?
Google bundles all Performance Max results together, which makes it hard to see what's working. I've built tools that break down the data by individual channel — so I can tell you exactly how much went to Shopping, how much to YouTube, how much to Display, and what each channel actually returned. This is the key to managing PMax properly.
How long before Performance Max starts working?
Google's algorithm needs 4–6 weeks to learn before it stabilises. You'll see initial results within the first couple of weeks, but drawing conclusions too early leads to bad decisions. I manage this learning phase actively — feeding the algorithm the right signals and monitoring closely — rather than just waiting and hoping.
What do I need to provide?
A product feed (which I can help optimise), access to your Google Ads account, and ideally some product images and brand assets for the non-Shopping placements. I'll guide you through exactly what's needed and handle the technical setup.
Not sure if Performance Max is working for you?
If you're running Performance Max and don't know whether it's genuinely adding value — or just spending your budget across channels you can't see — I can take a look. No sales process, no obligation. Just an honest assessment.