{"id":719149,"date":"2026-03-27T06:55:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T03:55:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-parts-of-performance-max-you-can-actually-control\/"},"modified":"2026-03-27T06:55:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T03:55:11","slug":"the-parts-of-performance-max-you-can-actually-control","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-parts-of-performance-max-you-can-actually-control\/","title":{"rendered":"The parts of Performance Max you can actually control"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a35e1aeaec2a\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a35e1aeaec2a\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-parts-of-performance-max-you-can-actually-control\/#Focus_on_what_you_can_control_in_Performance_Max_to_reduce_wasted_spend_and_improve_efficiency_with_search_terms_placements_and_targeting\" >Focus on what you can control in Performance Max to reduce wasted spend and improve efficiency with search terms, placements, and targeting.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-parts-of-performance-max-you-can-actually-control\/#Control_what_you_can_Search_terms_and_placements\" >Control what you can: Search terms and placements<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-parts-of-performance-max-you-can-actually-control\/#Use_budget_signals_to_improve_efficiency\" >Use budget signals to improve efficiency<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-parts-of-performance-max-you-can-actually-control\/#Refine_targeting_with_the_right_constraints\" >Refine targeting with the right constraints<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-parts-of-performance-max-you-can-actually-control\/#Improve_inputs_Creative_and_AI_assets\" >Improve inputs: Creative and AI assets<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-parts-of-performance-max-you-can-actually-control\/#Understand_the_limits_of_control_in_Performance_Max\" >Understand the limits of control in Performance Max<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"subhead\" itemprop=\"alternativeHeadline\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Focus_on_what_you_can_control_in_Performance_Max_to_reduce_wasted_spend_and_improve_efficiency_with_search_terms_placements_and_targeting\"><\/span>Focus on what you can control in Performance Max to reduce wasted spend and improve efficiency with search terms, placements, and targeting.<br \/>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"bialty-container\">\n<p>While initially criticized as a black box, Performance Max has evolved into a fairly critical campaign type. With each passing quarter, Google has introduced more functionality and visibility.<\/p>\n<p>Additional reporting is helpful, but what matters is what you can actually act on. While you can\u2019t control everything in Performance Max, there are specific levers that can have a meaningful impact on performance. Here are the parts of PMax you can control and how to use them effectively.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"control-what-you-can-search-terms-and-placements\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Control_what_you_can_Search_terms_and_placements\"><\/span>Control what you can: Search terms and placements<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>One of the most exciting updates in the last year to Performance Max has been the ability to add these campaign-level negative keywords.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In the past, you could contact Google to add these in. It was somewhat cumbersome and involved filling out an Excel doc, forwarding it to Google, and giving them permission to implement.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>With the inclusion of the search terms report, we\u2019re now able to select a keyword and quickly add it to the campaign-level negative keyword list, just as we can with a search or shopping campaign.<\/p>\n<p>Another way to optimize PMax is to review and monitor the placements report. Most recently, Google has moved the Performance Max placements report out of the reporting section of the Google Ads account and into the <em>Where ads have shown<\/em> section at the campaign level. While this makes analysis easier by removing additional steps, we still only have impression-level reporting on placements.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>We can use this information to decide whether to add these placements as negative placements at the account level. This is found in <em>Tools &gt; Content suitability &gt; Advanced settings &gt; Excluded placements<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While this isn\u2019t ideal, there\u2019s still useful insight we can glean from this report, such as ads <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>earing in kids\u2019 programming or driving a high number of impressions from mobile apps.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background: radial-gradient(circle at 30% 40%, rgba(184, 111, 255, 0.15), rgba(0, 169, 255, 0.15) 40%, #CDE8FD 70%); padding: 30px; width: 100%; max-width: 802px; color: #000000 !important; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 25px 0 30px 0; border-radius: 8px; box-shadow: 0 2px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); position: relative; box-sizing: border-box;\">\n<div style=\"width: 100%; max-width: 100%; margin-bottom: 20px; text-align: left; padding-right: 20px; box-sizing: border-box;\">\n<div id=\"semrush-one-headline\" class=\"headline-responsive\" style=\"font-family: Oswald, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0; color: #000000 !important; line-height: 1.2;\">\n        Your customers search everywhere. Make sure your brand <span style=\"background: linear-gradient(90deg, #D56EFE 0%, #068EF8 51%); -webkit-background-clip: text; -webkit-text-fill-color: transparent; background-clip: text;\">shows up<\/span>.\n      <\/div>\n<p id=\"semrush-one-subhead\" style=\"font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 25px; margin: 12px 0 0 0; color: #000000 !important;\">\n        The SEO toolkit you know, plus the AI visibility data you need.\n      <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\">\n      <span id=\"semrush-one-cta\" style=\"display: inline-block; background-color: #FF642D; color: white; height: 44px; border: none; border-radius: 5px; cursor: pointer; font-size: 16px; padding: 0 24px; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: 44px;\">Start Free Trial<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px;\">\n<div style=\"font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-weight: 300; color: #000000; margin-bottom: 4px;\">Get started with<\/div>\n<p>      <img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"400\" height=\"52\" decoding=\"async\" http: alt=\"Semrush One Logo\" style=\"height: 16px; width: auto; display: block;\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/11\/semrush-one.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"400\" height=\"52\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/11\/semrush-one.webp\" alt=\"Semrush One Logo\" style=\"height: 16px; width: auto; display: block;\">\n    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<style>\n  @media (max-width: 768px) {\n    .headline-responsive {\n      font-size: 30px !important;\n      line-height: 1.3 !important;\n    }\n  }\n<\/style>\n<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"use-budget-signals-to-improve-efficiency\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Use_budget_signals_to_improve_efficiency\"><\/span>Use budget signals to improve efficiency<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Also located in the <em>When and where ads showed<\/em> section is the ad schedule. Even if you hadn\u2019t selected an ad schedule when creating the campaign, Google automatically dayparts performance hourly.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Google typically recommends an open ad schedule, but if you have a limited budget, restricting your ad schedule during off-peak or non-converting hours is an excellent way to increase efficiency.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>You can do this by creating a campaign-level ad schedule within <em>Campaigns &gt; Audiences, keywords, and content &gt; Ad schedule<\/em>. Make sure your Performance Max campaign is selected in the top left dropdown menu.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: Top Performance Max optimization tips for 2026<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!-- START INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<p><!-- END INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color has-css-opacity has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-background\">\n<h2 id=\"refine-targeting-with-the-right-constraints\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Refine_targeting_with_the_right_constraints\"><\/span>Refine targeting with the right constraints<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Demographic exclusions are a relatively new feature at the campaign settings level for Performance Max. Unfortunately, reports for these campaigns are hard to obtain, limiting informed decisions on demographic exclusions.<\/p>\n<p>This functionality is helpful if you\u2019re aware of specific demographics that aren\u2019t actively in the market for specific products or services. To make adjustments, go to <em>Campaign-level settings &gt; Other settings &gt; Demographic exclusions<\/em>. From here, you can turn on age or gender exclusions:<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"912\" height=\"286\" http: alt=\"Demographic exclusions\" class=\"wp-image-472530\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/03\/Demographic-exclusions.png.webp 912w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/03\/Demographic-exclusions-768x241.png.webp 768w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 912px) 100vw, 912px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/03\/Demographic-exclusions.png.webp\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"912\" height=\"286\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/03\/Demographic-exclusions.png.webp\" alt=\"Demographic exclusions\" class=\"wp-image-472530\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/03\/Demographic-exclusions.png.webp 912w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/03\/Demographic-exclusions-768x241.png.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 912px) 100vw, 912px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>While PMax initially didn\u2019t even provide device-level reporting, a new feature lets you opt out of serving on certain devices.<\/p>\n<p>If you opt into all device targeting when launching a PMax campaign, you should periodically review device performance and adjust accordingly. This is best done by segmenting at the campaign or asset group level by device. Device-level data is extremely helpful for determining which device is better suited to reach your goal.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Likewise, if you almost always opt out of certain devices when launching a campaign, this data makes it easier to either launch with all device targeting enabled and monitor performance, or add a device you hadn\u2019t initially added to see how it impacts performance. Device-level targeting is also available at the campaign level, under <em>Other settings.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"882\" height=\"302\" http: alt=\"Device settings\" class=\"wp-image-472524\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/03\/image-112.png.webp 882w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/03\/image-112-768x263.png.webp 768w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 882px) 100vw, 882px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/03\/image-112.png.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"882\" height=\"302\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/03\/image-112.png.webp\" alt=\"Device settings\" class=\"wp-image-472524\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/03\/image-112.png.webp 882w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/03\/image-112-768x263.png.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 882px) 100vw, 882px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"improve-inputs-creative-and-ai-assets\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Improve_inputs_Creative_and_AI_assets\"><\/span>Improve inputs: Creative and AI assets<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Ad assets play a large role in the display, <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">YouTube<\/a>, and Discover network performance of a PMax campaign. For many, there\u2019s still a gap in producing high volumes of quality image and video creative.<\/p>\n<p>While still evolving, AI assets are getting closer to filling these gaps \u2014 enabling us to more effectively target these additional networks. As newer iterations of LLMs emerge, this will become a primary way to generate video content and professional-looking images.<\/p>\n<p>Google already offers generative AI image assets from shopping feed products that look relatively impressive. But we\u2019re still a ways out from seeing high-quality AI-generated videos without the well-known glitches we typically see in this type of content.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: How to reduce low-quality leads from Performance Max campaigns<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"understand-the-limits-of-control-in-performance-max\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Understand_the_limits_of_control_in_Performance_Max\"><\/span>Understand the limits of control in Performance Max<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The channel controls report gave more insight into where ads were serving. I have an unpopular opinion on this report. While helpful, there\u2019s little we can do within the campaign to improve performance. Because of this, the report is frustrating.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ll likely see channel controls available within Performance Max in the near future \u2014 similar to what we already have in Demand Gen campaigns. For now, adjust creative and bids to sway volume within certain networks. To opt out of certain networks completely and focus on shopping, then a feed-only Performance Max campaign will do just that.<\/p>\n<p>Performance Max is evolving from a black box to a critical asset in a marketer\u2019s toolkit. The steady stream of new functionality, from campaign-level negative keywords to detailed placement and ad schedule reports, shows Google\u2019s commitment to providing greater control.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Use these levers \u2014 strategic exclusions, device adjustments, and budget-aware scheduling \u2014 to move beyond set-it-and-forget-it and run Performance Max campaigns with precision and efficiency.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Technology<\/a><\/span> category.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/the-parts-of-performance-max-you-can-actually-control-472523\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Focus on what you can control in Performance Max to reduce wasted spend and improve efficiency with search terms, placements, and targeting. While initially criticized as a black box, Performance Max has evolved into a fairly critical campaign type. With each passing quarter, Google has introduced more functionality and visibility. Additional reporting is helpful, but&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":719150,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/03\/The-parts-of-Performance-Max-you-can-actually-control.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-719149","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/719149","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=719149"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/719149\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/719150"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=719149"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=719149"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=719149"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}