Performance Max (PMax) campaigns have quickly become a go-to choice for marketers looking to maximize their Google Ads results. With the power to reach across Google’s entire ad ecosystem, from Search and YouTube to Display and Discover, PMax campaigns give advertisers a powerful tool to increase visibility and improve conversion rate. It’s no surprise that they’ve gained popularity—who wouldn’t want to tap into Google’s full reach, all within a single campaign?

But here’s the thing: even with all that potential, PMax campaigns won’t perform at their best unless they’re set up and optimized correctly. Simply turning them on and hoping for the best isn’t enough. That’s where many marketers run into trouble. If you’re not carefully aligning your goals, tracking your conversions, and continuously optimizing your strategy, you could be leaving a lot of potential on the table.

In this post, we’ll cover some of the most common mistakes marketers make when running PMax campaigns—and more importantly, how to fix them.

1. Misaligned Goals and Poor Conversion Tracking

Let’s start with one of the most critical elements of any PMax campaign: setting the right goals and tracking your conversions accurately. It sounds basic, but many marketers get this wrong, and it can seriously hurt your performance.

PMax campaigns work their magic by optimizing performance toward your defined goals. If those goals aren’t clear or accurate, PMax won’t know how to focus its efforts, and the results will likely be underwhelming—you’re essentially flying blind. For example, if you’re trying to generate leads but have your goal set to maximize website visits, you’ll end up with tons of traffic but few actual conversions.

How to fix it:

1. Define Clear and Realistic Campaign Goals: Start by identifying what you really want from your campaign. Are you aiming for more conversions, higher sales, or increased engagement? Make sure your goals are specific, measurable, and aligned with your business objectives. The more precise you are, the better PMax can optimize for what you need.
2. Set Up and Verify Conversion Tracking in Google Ads: Once your goals are in place, double-check your conversion tracking setup. Conversion tracking is essential to measure what’s actually happening after someone clicks your ad. Go into Google Ads and make sure your tracking codes are working properly and capturing all relevant conversions.
3. Use Enhanced Conversions for Better Data Accuracy: Google’s enhanced conversions are a game-changer for improving tracking accuracy. By using first-party data (like email addresses or phone numbers), enhanced conversions provide more precise data, helping PMax optimize more effectively. It’s a simple step that can make a big difference in how well your campaigns perform.

2. Neglecting Audience Signals

Another common pitfall in PMax campaigns is relying too much on Google’s automation without adding your own audience insights. While automation can do a lot, it’s not a magic fix. If you don’t provide Google with enough quality audience data, it might target a broader audience that isn’t as likely to engage. PMax works best when it has relevant, high-quality audience signals to target.

How to fix it:

1. Add High-Intent Audience Signals Based on Past Converters: Look at your previous converters—those people who have taken the actions you care about (like filling out a form or making a purchase). Use that data to guide PMax. Adding high-intent audience signals based on past converters helps Google focus its efforts on similar users who are more likely to take the same actions.
2. Use Customer Lists, Website Visitors, and Lookalike Audiences: Don’t underestimate the power of your existing data. Upload customer lists, target website visitors, and leverage lookalike audiences to find people who match the profiles of your best customers. This gives PMax a stronger foundation to work from and increases the chances of reaching the right people at the right time.
3. Regularly Refine Audience Signals Based on Campaign Performance: Audience signals aren’t a one-and-done task. Over time, you should continuously analyze your campaign performance and refine your audience signals. Look at the data—who’s converting and who’s not—and make adjustments as needed. 

Remember, audience signals are like the compass that helps guide Google’s automation in the right direction. The more you give it, the better the results you’ll get.

3. Poor Asset Quality and Lack of Variety

When it comes to Performance Max campaigns, the quality and variety of your assets matter more than you might think. PMax isn’t like traditional Google Ads campaigns where you control every ad. Instead, it automatically generates ads using the assets you upload. If the images are blurry or the copy isn’t engaging, it can hurt your campaign’s results. Plus, with a lack of variety, you run the risk of ad fatigue, where your audience starts ignoring your ads because they’ve seen the same ones too often.

How to fix it:

1. Provide High-Resolution Images and Engaging Ad Copy: Make sure your images are high quality—no pixelated or blurry pictures allowed. Crisp, clear visuals make your ads look more professional and trustworthy. Similarly, your ad copy should be compelling and to the point. Focus on what makes your product or service stand out, and encourage the audience to take action.
2. Include a Mix of Headlines, Descriptions, and Videos for Better Ad Performance: PMax thrives on variety. Upload a mix of headlines, descriptions, and videos to allow the system to create different combinations. This variety helps PMax test what works best for different audiences across all placements. The more options you give it, the more likely it is to find the perfect ad combination for each situation.
3. Test and Update Assets Regularly to Prevent Ad Fatigue: Don’t let your ads go stale. Test different variations regularly to see which assets are performing best. If an image or headline is starting to underperform, swap it out for something fresh, keeping your campaigns dynamic and your audience engaged.

4. Ignoring Search Term Insights

One of the most overlooked areas of PMax campaigns is search term insights. Since PMax is an automated campaign, it can be easy to forget about the actual search terms that trigger your ads. If you’re not analyzing this data, you won’t know if your budget is being spent on searches that are actually relevant to your business.

How to fix it:

1. Review Search Term Insights in the Google Ads Reports: Regularly check the search term insights in your Google Ads reports. This will show you the exact terms people are using when they trigger your ads. By analyzing this data, you can identify which queries are leading to conversions and which ones are just wasting your budget.
2. Use Negative Keyword Lists to Block Irrelevant Queries: Once you know which terms are irrelevant, create negative keyword lists to prevent PMax from targeting them. Negative keywords will stop your ads from appearing for those searches, saving you money and ensuring your budget is spent more efficiently. 
3. Combine PMax with a Search Campaign for More Control Over Keyword Targeting: While PMax is great for automation, combining it with a standard Search campaign gives you more control over keyword targeting. You can fine-tune your Search campaign to target high-intent keywords, while PMax handles the rest, allowing you to optimize each campaign type for maximum efficiency and ensuring you’re reaching the right audience with the right message.

5. Overlooking Budget and Bidding Issues

Budget and bidding can make or break a PMax campaign. If your budget is too low or your bidding strategy doesn’t match your goals, your campaign can’t be fully optimized and scaled.  Similarly, choosing the wrong bidding strategy could lead to wasted spend or missed opportunities, leaving you with underwhelming performance. Getting this right is key to making sure PMax works to its full potential and delivers the results you’re aiming for.

How to fix it:

1. Set a Budget That Aligns with Campaign Goals and Expected CPCs: Start by setting a budget that matches your campaign objectives. If you’re aiming for conversions, make sure your budget is large enough to gather enough data and reach a significant number of people. Consider the expected cost-per-click (CPC) for your industry and adjust your budget accordingly. 
2. Choose Bidding Strategies Based on Your Objectives: Your bidding strategy should be chosen based on your specific goal. For lead generation campaigns, Maximize Conversions can help you get the best results in terms of cost per conversion. If you’re running an e-commerce campaign, consider a ROAS (return on ad spend) bidding strategy to focus on generating the highest revenue for the lowest cost. 
3. Monitor Bid Adjustments and Pacing: Regularly check your bid adjustments and pacing to ensure you’re not overspending or underperforming. Monitor how quickly your budget is being used throughout the day and adjust as needed. If your budget is being spent too fast and you’re not seeing the results, consider reducing bids or adjusting the pacing. Conversely, if the campaign isn’t spending enough to get results, you may want to increase your bids or adjust the pacing to help PMax scale.

6. Lack of Proper Performance Analysis

One of the biggest advantages of Performance Max is its automation—but that doesn’t mean you can just set it and forget it. Regular performance analysis is essential to keep your campaign on track and make data-driven adjustments that maximize results. Without monitoring key metrics, you risk wasting your budget on underperforming assets, targeting the wrong audiences, or missing out on optimization opportunities.

How to fix it:

1. Check Asset Performance and Replace Underperforming Creatives: Google Ads provides performance ratings for your assets (e.g., “Low,” “Good,” “Best”). If you notice low-performing images, headlines, or videos, swap them out with fresh, high-quality alternatives. Regularly testing new creatives keeps engagement and prevents ad fatigue.
2. Analyze Audience Signals and Refine Targeting: If your campaign isn’t generating quality conversions, your audience signals may not be strong enough. Look at which audience segments are driving results and refine your targeting by adding new high-intent signals, such as customer lists, website visitors, or lookalike audiences.
3. Adjust Budgets, Bids, and Campaign Settings Based on Data-Driven Insights: Keep an eye on how your budget is being spent—if certain placements, audiences, or strategies aren’t delivering, reallocate funds where they perform best. Likewise, adjust bid strategies based on your goals. 

Conclusion

PMax campaigns are a powerful way to reach customers across Google’s entire ecosystem, but they’re not a plug-and-play solution. To get the best results, you need to actively guide the automation with clear goals, strong audience signals, high-quality assets, and regular performance analysis.

By staying proactive—testing, analyzing, and refining your approach—you can unlock the full potential of Performance Max and see your ROAS skyrocket like never before. Instead of letting automation run unchecked, use these strategies to keep your campaigns optimized and aligned with your goals.