{"id":735205,"date":"2026-06-24T11:00:45","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T08:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-make-performance-max-focus-on-net-new-customers\/"},"modified":"2026-06-24T11:00:45","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T08:00:45","slug":"how-to-make-performance-max-focus-on-net-new-customers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-make-performance-max-focus-on-net-new-customers\/","title":{"rendered":"How to make Performance Max focus on net new customers"},"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-6a3c563bc1839\" 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-6a3c563bc1839\" 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\/how-to-make-performance-max-focus-on-net-new-customers\/#Reduce_overlap_between_Google_and_Meta_with_a_four-step_framework_that_uses_brand_exclusions_audience_exclusions_and_Customer_Match_data\" >Reduce overlap between Google and Meta with a four-step framework that uses brand exclusions, audience exclusions, and Customer Match data.<\/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\/how-to-make-performance-max-focus-on-net-new-customers\/#Why_the_new_exclusions_matter\" >Why the new exclusions matter<\/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\/how-to-make-performance-max-focus-on-net-new-customers\/#A_four-step_framework_for_net_new_customer_acquisition\" >A four-step framework for net new customer acquisition<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-make-performance-max-focus-on-net-new-customers\/#Step_1_Exclude_your_brand\" >Step 1: Exclude your brand<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-make-performance-max-focus-on-net-new-customers\/#Step_2_Exclude_website_visitors_and_email_subscribers\" >Step 2: Exclude website visitors and email subscribers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-make-performance-max-focus-on-net-new-customers\/#Step_3_Exclude_existing_purchasers\" >Step 3: Exclude existing purchasers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-make-performance-max-focus-on-net-new-customers\/#Step_4_Use_%E2%80%98New_Customer_Bidding_in_campaign_settings\" >Step 4: Use \u2018New Customer Bidding\u2019 in campaign settings<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-make-performance-max-focus-on-net-new-customers\/#What_to_expect_from_this_approach\" >What to expect from this approach<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-make-performance-max-focus-on-net-new-customers\/#Limitations_and_realistic_expectations\" >Limitations and realistic expectations<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-make-performance-max-focus-on-net-new-customers\/#Googles_giving_you_more_control_over_PMax_Use_it\" >Google\u2019s giving you more control over PMax. Use it.<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-make-performance-max-focus-on-net-new-customers\/#Topics_on_this_page\" >Topics on this page<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"subhead\" itemprop=\"alternativeHeadline\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Reduce_overlap_between_Google_and_Meta_with_a_four-step_framework_that_uses_brand_exclusions_audience_exclusions_and_Customer_Match_data\"><\/span>Reduce overlap between Google and Meta with a four-step framework that uses brand exclusions, audience exclusions, and Customer Match data.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"bialty-container\">\n<p>There\u2019s a trap door waiting for DTC brands that invest in Google Ads that makes your dashboards look amazing, but absolutely wrecks your P&amp;L.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the danger of recycling traffic from Meta.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks to the overlap between paid search and paid <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social<\/a> traffic, running Google as a standalone channel is incredibly difficult if you don\u2019t know how to set it up. Ad platforms refuse to share data with one another, and they love to claim credit for the same conversion \u2014 even if those sales would\u2019ve h<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>ened without the influence of ads.<\/p>\n<p>The DTC brands I speak to are often proud to show off their new customer numbers: month-over-month growth, a steady upward trend, and a fantastic dashboard. But when we go deeper into the data, we often find that a big chunk of those \u201cnew\u201d customers are:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Conversions that would\u2019ve happened because of brand or content efforts.<\/li>\n<li>Customers who aren\u2019t truly incremental because they consumed ads on multiple platforms.<\/li>\n<li>The same people signing up with multiple email addresses.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You could argue that these overlapping sales still count as revenue, and they do. But when you look at the contribution margin from those sales, they cost far more than they should and erode actual profit.<\/p>\n<p>In other words, you lose money when you run ads on both platforms without guardrails.<\/p>\n<p>But that doesn\u2019t mean you need to stop or limit yourself to one channel. Instead, you need a better system for measuring actual customer acquisition.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">PSA -&gt; removing brand searches from a PMAX campaign doesn\u2019t change the audience you\u2019re targeting \ud83d\ude02 <\/p>\n<p>it\u2019s still warm traffic (either existing or already multiple touchpoints) <\/p>\n<p>You\u2019re thinking about it wrong <\/p>\n<p>Very common<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Collin Schmelebeck (@SchmelebeckPPC) <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SchmelebeckPPC\/status\/1948495225313181944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 24, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-minify=\"1\" async src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/cache\/min\/1\/widgets.js?ver=1780094614\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"why-the-new-exclusions-matter\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_the_new_exclusions_matter\"><\/span>Why the new exclusions matter<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019re spending five figures or more on Meta, TikTok, AppLovin, or any other top-of-funnel channel, you\u2019ll want to minimize overlap with other channels to drive actual new customer acquisition.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what that looks like:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Someone sees your ad on Facebook or Instagram.<\/li>\n<li>They visit your site, browse, and leave without buying.<\/li>\n<li>A while later, they search for your brand on Google or get retargeted on YouTube.<\/li>\n<li>Performance Max swoops in, grabs the conversion, and reports strong ROAS.<\/li>\n<li>You may have won that order anyway, but now Google and Meta both want credit for it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Now you\u2019re paying two or more platforms to recycle a conversion that you might have earned with just one.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">1\/6 Stop guessing what drives your Performance Max results and start taking control with our latest updates. \ud83d\udc47<\/p>\n<p>\ud83c\udfaf Exclude first-party audiences.<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\uddfa\ufe0f Get visibility into your ad placements.<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udcb0 Project spend with budget reporting.<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udc65 Analyze audience demographics.<\/p>\n<p>Learn more\u2026 <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/sfPplsEI7f\">pic.twitter.com\/sfPplsEI7f<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Google Ads (@GoogleAds) <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/GoogleAds\/status\/2037283465331184033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 26, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-minify=\"1\" async src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/cache\/min\/1\/widgets.js?ver=1780094614\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Ever since Performance Max launched, there wasn\u2019t much you could do about this. It\u2019s been a bit of a black box that automatically goes after the warmest traffic it can find: branded search, site visits, email subscriptions, and existing customers.<\/p>\n<p>It lets you bid more for new customers, but you can\u2019t really stop the campaign from defaulting to easy mode.<\/p>\n<p>A while ago, Google began letting you exclude people searching for your brand on Search and Shopping. Performance Max still targeted warm audiences through YouTube, Gmail, and the Display Network.<\/p>\n<p>The latest round of updates from Google has finally addressed this problem. You can now force Performance Max to focus on net new customer acquisition through a combination of brand exclusions, audience exclusions, and Customer Match data.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>First-party audience exclusions, announced in March, are the final piece that makes this possible (though not foolproof \u2013 customer list matching is never perfect).<\/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        See exactly how <span style=\"background: linear-gradient(90deg, #D56EFE 0%, #068EF8 51%); -webkit-background-clip: text; -webkit-text-fill-color: transparent; background-clip: text;\">your competitors win<\/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        Uncover the keywords, ads, landing pages, and strategies driving your competitors\u2019 paid search success\u2014and find your next opportunity to outperform them.\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;\">Analyze your competitors<\/span>\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<h2 id=\"a-fourstep-framework-for-net-new-customer-acquisition\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_four-step_framework_for_net_new_customer_acquisition\"><\/span>A four-step framework for net new customer acquisition<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Here\u2019s a four-step framework we\u2019re using at my agency to help clients maximize incrementality.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Google PMax is probably taking credit for conversions your Meta Ads created.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s the 4-step framework to force it into real new customer acquisition: \ud83d\udc47 <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/BmgDYpLzoL\">https:\/\/t.co\/BmgDYpLzoL<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Menachem (Google Ads) (@MenachemAni) <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MenachemAni\/status\/2049118353604628921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 28, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-minify=\"1\" async src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/cache\/min\/1\/widgets.js?ver=1780094614\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-1-exclude-your-brand\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_1_Exclude_your_brand\"><\/span>Step 1: Exclude your brand<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>This one has been around for a while, but it\u2019s the foundation, so we have to start here.<\/p>\n<p>For smaller brands, brand exclusions usually aren\u2019t necessary. But once you\u2019re spending real money and seeing more than 15% to 20% of your cost or revenue coming from brand searches, it\u2019s time to take action.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>There are two parts to this.<\/p>\n<p>Go into your campaign settings and add a brand exclusion. If your brand isn\u2019t already on the list, click <em>New brand list<\/em>, create one, and add your brand. Google will do its best to block branded queries from this list.<\/p>\n<p>Because brand exclusions aren\u2019t foolproof, go to the <em>Keywords<\/em> tab inside the campaign and add your brand name as a phrase match negative keyword. Add a few common variations, too. This catches anything the brand list misses.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re excluding brand terms from Performance Max, you need a dedicated brand Search campaign and a brand Shopping campaign to capture those searches. Otherwise, you\u2019re just leaving money on the table for competitors.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-2-exclude-website-visitors-and-email-subscribers\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_2_Exclude_website_visitors_and_email_subscribers\"><\/span>Step 2: Exclude website visitors and email subscribers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Even if you blocked brand searches, Performance Max would still retarget people who visited your website, opened your emails, or interacted with your brand on YouTube, Gmail, Discover, and Display. So even with brand exclusions in place, a big chunk of your spend still went to warm traffic.<\/p>\n<p>Now you can change that. Go to your campaign settings and find the new audience exclusions option. Then build a few remarketing lists:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>All website visitors:<\/strong> Set this up through the Google Ads pixel or Google Analytics. It captures anyone who has visited your site.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Email subscribers:<\/strong> Connect Klaviyo (or whatever ESP you\u2019re using) directly to Google Ads. The benefit of the Klaviyo integration is that the audience updates in real time, so new subscribers are added automatically.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Once you exclude these audiences, Performance Max can only go after people who haven\u2019t interacted with your brand in any meaningful way. What we typically do, and what I recommend, is to come up with an engagement metric that fits each account\u2019s business goal, such as cart adds rather than visitors from the past seven days.<\/p>\n<p>What a change from how this campaign type used to work.<\/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<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-3-exclude-existing-purchasers\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_3_Exclude_existing_purchasers\"><\/span>Step 3: Exclude existing purchasers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Same idea as Step 2, but specifically for people who have already bought from you. You can do this two ways.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Through a pixel-based audience that captures anyone who has triggered the purchase event.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>By uploading your customer list directly. Shopify now lets you set up Customer Match lists right inside the Google Shopping app, and Klaviyo can do this, too.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Add these audiences to the exclusions section of your campaign, and you\u2019re done.<\/p>\n<p>A small caveat to keep in mind: audience matching is never 100%. If you upload a customer list of 1,000 people, Google might only match 900 of them. So you\u2019ll still see some level of bleed. But going from \u201cthe campaign is targeting all my existing customers\u201d to \u201cthe campaign is targeting maybe 10% of them\u201d is still a huge win.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-4-use-new-customer-bidding-in-campaign-settings\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_4_Use_%E2%80%98New_Customer_Bidding_in_campaign_settings\"><\/span>Step 4: Use \u2018New Customer Bidding\u2019 in campaign settings<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The last piece is to tell the campaign explicitly that you want new customers.<\/p>\n<p>In your campaign settings under customer acquisition, you\u2019ll see two options: bid only for new customers, or bid higher for new customers. Both require you to connect a customer list (which you\u2019ve probably already done by Step 3).<\/p>\n<p>The \u201conly new customers\u201d option is the most aggressive setting. The campaign simply won\u2019t bid on existing customers. Combined with the audience exclusions from Steps 2 and 3, this gets you as close to pure new customer acquisition as Performance Max will allow.<\/p>\n<p>The \u201cbid higher for new customers\u201d option is more flexible. You set a dollar value that represents the additional value of a new customer, and the system bids more aggressively when it thinks an auction will result in one.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s where you need to be careful. If you tell Google a new customer is worth an extra $100, and you get a $200 sale from a new customer, Google will report it as $300 in revenue. That extra $100 is a fictional reporting value, not real revenue. It will inflate your ROAS numbers and distort your target ROAS bidding.<\/p>\n<p>Our recommendation is to use a small placeholder value, such as a penny or a dollar, when you want to nudge the system toward new customers without distorting your reporting. Or use a number that genuinely reflects the lifetime value premium of a new customer to your business.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-to-expect-from-this-approach\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_to_expect_from_this_approach\"><\/span>What to expect from this approach<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s still early, so we can\u2019t draw firm conclusions yet. But based on my experience managing PPC for ecommerce brands, here\u2019s what I expect to happen.<\/p>\n<p>Many advertisers who walked away from Performance Max did so because it was simply recycling Meta traffic. By splitting it out, you force it to go after net new traffic.<\/p>\n<p>This will likely benefit brands that don\u2019t have a ton of video creative for YouTube, which is another platform where brands try to drive net new acquisition at the awareness stage.<\/p>\n<p>One of the big differences between Performance Max and Demand Gen is that the former is much more conversion-focused. Any brand considering excluding branded Search and Shopping from Performance Max should also consider this tactic, as it tends to over-index on hot traffic.<\/p>\n<p>In terms of outcomes, I expect the reported ROAS attributed to Performance Max to be lower than what you may have seen in the past.<\/p>\n<p>But when you look at the breakdown of new versus returning customers, it should align much more closely with new customer acquisition. Without advanced configuration, it might be a 60\/40 split, even in the best situations.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"limitations-and-realistic-expectations\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Limitations_and_realistic_expectations\"><\/span>Limitations and realistic expectations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Nothing about this is foolproof. Audience exclusions don\u2019t match perfectly. Brand exclusions don\u2019t catch every variation. Customer Match has its gaps. So even with all four steps in place, some percentage of your spend will still hit warm audiences.<\/p>\n<p>But for the first time, you actually have the levers to push Performance Max into upper-funnel territory. You can make it work like a real prospecting channel instead of a retargeting channel that takes credit for demand created elsewhere.<\/p>\n<p>This matters most for brands spending heavily on Meta, TikTok, or other channels and wanting Google to actually grow the customer base rather than recycle the traffic those channels generate. If you\u2019re seeing strong ROAS in Performance Max but flat new customer numbers month over month, this framework is for you.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re a smaller brand still trying to find product-market fit or build initial momentum, this is probably overkill. Let Performance Max do its thing and pick up conversions without too many restrictions.<\/p>\n<p>But once you\u2019re scaling and the question is no longer \u201cCan we be profitable?\u201d but \u201cCan we be profitable while growing the customer base?\u201d these settings become some of the most important levers you have.<\/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        Every click they win is <span style=\"background: linear-gradient(90deg, #D56EFE 0%, #068EF8 51%); -webkit-background-clip: text; -webkit-text-fill-color: transparent; background-clip: text;\">a customer you lose<\/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        See where competitors are investing, which keywords drive their results, and how to capture more of the market.\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;\">See who\u2019s stealing your traffic<\/span>\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<h2 id=\"googles-giving-you-more-control-over-pmax-use-it\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Googles_giving_you_more_control_over_PMax_Use_it\"><\/span>Google\u2019s giving you more control over PMax. Use it.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The conversation around brand versus non-brand is everywhere. You can\u2019t throw a dart at a paid media conference without hitting someone with a strong opinion on it. But for some reason, almost no one seems to be testing this new option.<\/p>\n<p>I just finished auditing an account spending $100,000 a month on Search with no Performance Max or Shopping, so they get purely new customer acquisition. We looked at their numbers and said maybe now\u2019s the time to try this, exclude all these segments, and let it rip.<\/p>\n<p>So here\u2019s when I recommend implementing this test: if your ad spend is high enough (it doesn\u2019t need to be $100,000 a month or anywhere near it), or you\u2019re revisiting Performance Max. Your hypothesis should be that this approach increases the proportion of actual new customer conversions.<\/p>\n<p>I think you\u2019ll find that the needle moves further than you think.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ttd-topics-display\">\n<div class=\"ttd-topics-content\">\n<h5><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Topics_on_this_page\"><\/span>Topics on this page<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<div class=\"ttd-topics-links\">GoogleGoogle AdsMetaTikTokCustomer acquisition costDirect-to-consumerDiscover Financial ServicesFacebookGmailGoogle AnalyticsGoogle ShoppingIncome statementInstagramKlaviyoMultichannel marketingOnline advertisingSearch engine marketingShopifyYouTube<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ttd-topics-show-extra-button\">+15 more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\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\/performance-max-net-new-customers-480802\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reduce overlap between Google and Meta with a four-step framework that uses brand exclusions, audience exclusions, and Customer Match data. There\u2019s a trap door waiting for DTC brands that invest in Google Ads that makes your dashboards look amazing, but absolutely wrecks your P&amp;L. It\u2019s the danger of recycling traffic from Meta. Thanks to the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":735206,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/06\/How-to-make-Performance-Max-focus-on-net-new-customers.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-735205","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\/735205","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=735205"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/735205\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/735206"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=735205"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=735205"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=735205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}