Google Advertisements has lengthy inspired Efficiency Max campaigns. With the flexibility to focus on all channels — search, video, extra — and with good bidding choices, Efficiency Max campaigns can drive extra conversions and income.
Google not too long ago introduced choices to improve Dynamic Search Advertisements (DSA) and Show campaigns to Efficiency Max. The improve is within the “Suggestions” tab within the admin.

The Google Advertisements choice to improve to Efficiency Max is within the admin’s “Suggestions” tab. Click on picture to enlarge.
The improve course of takes current belongings, settings, and finances to create the brand new Efficiency Max marketing campaign. Earlier than the marketing campaign goes reside, Google shares the draft and any entities needing fixing. It’s crucial to overview the marketing campaign to make sure all entities are appropriate. Google’s algorithm can create the marketing campaign however wants people to finalize it.
Google offered in 2022 an improve choice for Procuring campaigns. Thus Google now recommends that three marketing campaign sorts — Procuring, DSA, Show — migrate to Efficiency Max. The query for advertisers isn’t whether or not emigrate however how.
At its current annual Advertising and marketing Dwell occasions, Google demonstrated its rising dedication (and funding) in Efficiency Max, including options month-to-month whereas deprecating legacy marketing campaign sorts, similar to Sensible Procuring.
Listed below are 3 ways to wade into the Efficiency Max waters.
Improve Particular person Campaigns
There’s little motive to improve, say, three DSA and 4 Show campaigns concurrently. For instance, a service provider with distinctive DSA campaigns for boots, sandals, and slippers might improve solely sandals to Efficiency Max.
Regardless, the improve course of requires a little bit of tweaking. DSA campaigns use audiences and URL guidelines, whereas Efficiency Max makes use of viewers alerts and web page feeds. Audiences goal outlined customers whereas viewers alerts drive new customers Google sees as related. Web page feeds inform Google what URLs to focus on, however URL guidelines can each embrace and exclude pages. Efficiency Max routinely creates web page feeds.
Steadily upgrading campaigns permits for trial and error to check:
- Belongings,
- Viewers alerts,
- Bid methods.
Gradual upgrades additionally keep away from an enormous change that may seemingly trigger poor short-term efficiency.
Run Experiments
Google Advertisements provides two experiments to check Efficiency Max campaigns: (i) an general uplift and (ii) a comparability to Procuring campaigns.
Each experiments run Efficiency Max alongside current campaigns. The uplift experiment exams in opposition to a Search or Show marketing campaign, similar to a Search marketing campaign focusing on males’s boots in opposition to a brand new Efficiency Max marketing campaign for those self same gadgets.
The second experiment exams Procuring in opposition to Efficiency Max, useful for advertisers working solely Procuring campaigns.
Google says it should launch Efficiency Max customized experiments later this 12 months, whereby advertisers can check numerous gadgets in current Efficiency Max campaigns. For instance, an advertiser might check bid methods — maximize conversions vs. ROAS — whereas conserving different parts fixed. I’m wanting ahead to the discharge. It will likely be a definitive option to know which Efficiency Max construction works greatest for a selected advertiser.
Assessment Efficiency
My criticism of Efficiency Max campaigns is the lack of transparency. Advertisers can see the general outcomes, however not by community. We don’t know, for instance, how a lot spend goes to a Search marketing campaign vs. Procuring.
Fortunately, there’s a answer.
Mike Rhodes of AgencySavvy wrote a script that breaks out marketing campaign efficiency by community. The instance under exhibits roughly 50% of the spend going to Procuring campaigns within the final 30 days and 75% since mid-July.

Mike Rhodes’ script breaks out Efficiency Max marketing campaign efficiency by community. Click on picture to enlarge.
For every community, Rhodes’ script gives:
- Price (spend),
- Conversions,
- Income,
- Return on advert spend.
The script undoubtedly helps Efficiency Max advertisers, regardless of Google figuring out the spend by community.
Say the script exhibits 95% of spend going to Procuring with a worthwhile ROAS. Advertisers might then flip off an ordinary Procuring marketing campaign and let all visitors go to Efficiency Max. Or if Google allocates most Efficiency Max spend to underperforming Show campaigns, advertisers might replace picture and video belongings.