• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, July 12, 2022

The latest Performance Max features, which Google introduced Tuesday, highlight automation and advertisers' ability to gain precise targeting through locations and exclusions and increase transparency and insights -- all to improve campaign performance.

Advanced location in Performance Max aims to increase precision targeting. In campaign settings under “Location options,” advertisers will find the ability to target based on physical “Presence” or “Presence or interest.” 

The changes give some advertisers the ability to add targeting exclusions. For those who have this option, the tool tells Smart Bidding to ignore data from dates where advertisers encounter issues with conversion tracking that impacts the accuracy of reported conversions or conversion value, such as tagging issues or website outages. 

Google has also added seasonal adjustments triggers, allowing advertisers to set alert bid strategies when marketers anticipate conversion-rate changes like running promotions or sales.

Smart Bidding already accounts for predicted seasonal events, so Google suggests using this feature only if advertisers forecast major sudden or atypical changes to conversion rates. This tool is intended to be used for short periods and events ranging from one to seven days, such as a week-long promotion or sale. 

Tools also include the ability to view diagnostic insights, prevent unintended issues with conversion tracking that might affect bid strategies, and improve optimization scores.

The optimization score will help advertisers find new ways to improve performance because it offers recommendations to drive better results. One example is that it provides recommendations to optimize for new customer acquisition or to apply a return on and ad spend (ROAS) target.

Data explanations are also coming to all Performance Max campaigns in the coming weeks. When evaluating campaigns, it is important to understand shifts in performance in order to respond quickly. These explanations make it easier to identify performance fluctuations and diagnose issues -- another way to ensure that campaigns run smoothly.