Performance Max Campaigns That Deliver ROAS — Not Just Reach.
Performance Max is Google's most powerful campaign type — and its most misunderstood. When correctly configured, PMax reaches buyers across Search, Shopping, YouTube, Display, Gmail and Maps simultaneously, using Google's AI to allocate budget where it converts best. When incorrectly configured — which it is in most accounts — PMax cannibalises your Search campaigns, burns budget on irrelevant placements and reports inflated ROAS through view-through attribution. Digitly configures, launches and manages Performance Max campaigns that deliver genuine cross-channel ROAS — not just impressive-looking dashboards.
$30M+
Google Ads Spend Managed
4–8x
Average ROAS Across Accounts
150+
Brands Under Management
21
Independent Agency Awards
If Your PMax ROAS Looks Too Good to Be True — It Probably Is.
"PMax looks great in the dashboard but sales haven't actually improved."
Performance Max's default reporting includes view-through conversions — meaning someone saw your ad and later converted anywhere online gets counted as a PMax conversion. This inflates reported ROAS significantly. We configure attribution to show true incremental performance — and for most accounts where PMax is incorrectly configured, the real ROAS is significantly lower than reported.
"PMax is taking budget from our best-performing campaigns."
Without correct campaign structure, negative keyword lists and audience signal configuration, PMax will bid on the same branded and high-intent search terms as your Search campaigns — cannibalising performance and inflating attributed conversions. We fix this with the right exclusions and campaign architecture from day one.
"We don't know what PMax is actually spending on."
PMax's lack of placement transparency is one of its most criticised limitations. We use every available lever to gain visibility — asset group performance data, search category insights, placement exclusion lists and audience signal analysis — to understand where budget is going and redirect it to where it converts.
One Campaign. Every Google Channel.
Performance Max runs across all of Google's advertising inventory simultaneously — Google's AI decides where to show your ads based on audience signals and asset quality. Getting the right results requires correct setup on every channel layer.
Google Search
Text ads in search results — PMax can serve search ads alongside your dedicated Search campaigns.
Google Shopping
Product listing ads — PMax's Shopping component drives eCommerce performance across Google Shopping.
YouTube
Video and display ads across YouTube — reaching audiences during content consumption.
Google Display Network
Banner and responsive display ads across millions of websites and apps.
Gmail
Sponsored ads within Gmail inboxes — reaching users in a personal communication context.
Google Maps
Local business ads within Google Maps — driving foot traffic and local conversions.
Performance Max Management — Every Configuration Layer Optimised.
PMax Audit & Configuration Review
The most common starting point — auditing an existing PMax campaign that isn't performing as expected. We identify every configuration error, audience signal gap and attribution issue within the first session.
- Asset group performance analysis
- Audience signal quality assessment
- Brand exclusion verification
- Attribution configuration review
- Search category and placement insight extraction
- Cannibalisation detection — PMax vs Search overlap
Audience Signal Configuration
Audience signals are PMax's most important configuration input — they tell Google's AI what a conversion looks like so it can find more people like your existing customers. Without strong audience signals, PMax operates blind.
- Customer match list upload — existing customers and leads
- Website visitor segments
- Remarketing audience signals
- Similar audience construction
- Custom intent audience signals
- Signal quality scoring and refresh
Asset Group Strategy & Creative Optimisation
Asset groups are PMax's ad unit — combining headlines, descriptions, images and videos that Google's AI assembles into ads across all channels. Asset quality directly determines ad performance — and most accounts have poorly structured asset groups.
- Asset group architecture — product line, audience or objective segmentation
- Headline and description writing — all 15 headlines, all 4 descriptions
- Image asset production brief
- Video asset creation brief
- Asset performance scoring — Best, Good, Low classification
- Asset refresh cycle management
Campaign Exclusions & Brand Protection
Without correct exclusions, PMax captures your branded searches, cannibalises existing Search campaigns and wastes budget on irrelevant placements. We implement every available exclusion lever from day one.
- Brand keyword exclusion list — prevent PMax bidding on branded terms
- Negative keyword lists — applied at account level
- Placement exclusions — low-quality sites and apps
- IP exclusion — internal traffic removal
- Audience exclusions — existing customers where appropriate
PMax + Search Campaign Integration
Performance Max and Search campaigns must be managed as an integrated system — not independently. Budget allocation, keyword exclusion strategy and audience signal overlap require coordinated management to maximise combined ROAS.
- Integrated campaign architecture design
- Budget allocation — PMax vs Search by intent stage
- Keyword exclusion coordination — prevent cannibalisation
- Attribution management — cross-campaign conversion deduplication
PMax Reporting & Performance Insights
Extracting meaningful performance data from PMax requires using every available reporting lever — asset group insights, search term categories, audience segment data and attribution comparison.
- Asset group performance reporting
- Search category insight extraction
- Audience signal performance analysis
- Attribution comparison — data-driven vs last-click
- Monthly PMax vs Search contribution report
Advanced PMax Management — Beyond Basic Configuration.
PMax for eCommerce
Feed-based PMax campaigns for Shopify and WooCommerce — product set segmentation, margin-based bidding and Shopping + Search integration strategy.
PMax for Lead Generation
B2B and service business PMax configuration — lead form asset integration, offline conversion import and CRM value rules for Smart Bidding signals.
Smart Bidding Strategy Selection
Target ROAS vs Target CPA vs Maximise Conversions — the right strategy depends on your conversion data volume and business model. We select and configure the appropriate strategy for every account.
Conversion Value Rules
Assign different values to different conversion types — high-margin products, premium service tiers, geographic market priority — giving Smart Bidding the signals it needs to optimise for revenue rather than just volume.
Seasonal Bidding Adjustments
Advance bid strategy adjustment for peak periods — Black Friday, product launches, seasonal demand spikes — ensuring PMax budget is positioned correctly before peak periods begin.
Incrementality Testing
Advanced accounts benefit from understanding PMax's true incremental contribution — geo-split and time-based incrementality tests to verify genuine revenue lift vs attribution inflation.
Why Digitly's PMax Campaigns Deliver Real ROAS — Not Inflated Reports
Most agencies launch PMax with default settings and report the inflated ROAS Google provides. We configure every layer correctly from the start — and report on the metrics that reflect true business performance.
Configuration-First Approach
Most PMax problems are configuration problems — not budget problems. We audit every configuration layer before recommending budget changes. Audience signals, asset groups, exclusions and attribution must be correct before spend is increased.
Attribution Accuracy
We configure PMax reporting to show true incremental performance — not inflated view-through ROAS. You'll know exactly what PMax is actually contributing to your revenue, not what Google's default attribution suggests.
PMax + Search Integration
We manage PMax and Search as a coordinated system — not independent campaigns. Budget allocation, keyword exclusions and audience signals are managed together to maximise combined ROAS without cannibalisation.
Google Partner Certified
Digitly holds active Google Partner status — verified PMax expertise backed by Google's own performance assessment. This gives us direct access to Google support, beta features and platform-level guidance.
Performance Max Results — Real ROAS, Not Inflated Reports.
Captain's Farm
Challenge: Existing PMax campaign reporting 12x ROAS but actual revenue growth was flat. Investigation revealed view-through attribution inflation and branded search cannibalisation.
What Digitly Did
- Attribution reconfiguration — view-through removed from primary ROAS calculation
- Brand exclusion lists applied — all branded terms excluded from PMax
- Audience signal rebuild — customer match list uploaded, website visitor segments created
- Asset group restructure — separate groups for product categories with targeted creative
- PMax + Search integration — budget rebalanced, keyword exclusions coordinated
Results
TechScale Solutions
Challenge: PMax generating high volume of leads but sales team reporting low quality. Attribution showing strong ROAS but pipeline value from PMax leads was 40% lower than Search leads.
What Digitly Did
- Offline conversion import — CRM deal stage data feeding back to Google Ads
- Conversion value rules — qualified leads weighted 5x vs raw form submissions
- Audience signals rebuilt — customer match from closed-won accounts
- Lead form asset removed — external landing page with qualification questions
- PMax budget reduced and reallocated to high-intent Search campaigns
Results
Why Brands Choose Digitly for Performance Max
Google Partner — PMax Certified
Certified Google Partner with verified PMax expertise — direct access to Google support, beta features and platform-level guidance.
Configuration-First Methodology
We fix configuration before recommending budget increases. Most PMax underperformance is caused by setup errors, not insufficient spend.
Attribution Accuracy Guaranteed
We configure reporting to show true incremental ROAS — not Google's inflated default view-through attribution. You'll know what PMax actually delivers.
Integrated PMax + Search Architecture
PMax and Search managed as one system — coordinated budget allocation, keyword exclusions and audience signals prevent cannibalisation.
Audience Signal Expertise
We build and maintain high-quality audience signals — the single most important factor in PMax performance. Customer match, remarketing and custom intent signals continuously optimised.
Transparent Performance Reporting
Monthly reports showing true PMax contribution — click-through vs view-through ROAS, PMax vs Search performance and genuine incremental revenue attribution.
How Digitly Configures and Manages Your Performance Max — Step by Step
PMax Audit
Week 1Full PMax configuration audit — audience signals, asset groups, exclusions, attribution settings and cannibalisation detection. Identify every issue before any changes are made.
Audience Signal Configuration
Week 1–2Customer match lists uploaded. Website visitor segments created. Remarketing audiences configured. Custom intent signals built. Signal quality scored and prioritised.
Asset Group Restructure
Week 2Asset groups rebuilt around product lines, audience segments or campaign objectives. All 15 headlines and 4 descriptions written. Image and video briefs created. Asset quality optimised.
Exclusions & Launch
Week 2–3Brand exclusion lists applied. Negative keywords configured at account level. Placement exclusions set. PMax launched with correct configuration alongside integrated Search campaigns.
Optimisation & Testing
Week 3+Asset performance monitoring. Audience signal refinement. Search category insight analysis. Attribution comparison — data-driven vs last-click. Continuous improvement cycle.
Scale & Report
Month 2+Budget scaling based on true incremental ROAS. Conversion value rule refinement. Monthly integrated PMax + Search performance report with genuine attribution data.
Performance Max Across Every Industry.
Ecommerce
Feed-based PMax — Shopping + Search + YouTube integration.
Healthcare
Medical services PMax with compliance-aware configuration.
Real Estate
Property lead generation — Maps + Search + Display integration.
SaaS & Technology
B2B PMax with offline conversion import and CRM value rules.
Manufacturing
Industrial B2B PMax — lead quality optimisation.
Education
Student recruitment PMax — lead form and landing page integration.
Finance & BFSI
Financial services PMax with strict compliance and attribution.
Startups
Growth-stage PMax — rapid testing and scaling.
Legal
Legal services PMax — high-value lead generation.
Technology
Tech product PMax — cross-channel awareness and conversion.
Travel & Hospitality
Travel PMax — seasonal demand and booking optimisation.
Fintech
Fintech PMax — app install and sign-up campaigns.
D2C Brands
Direct-to-consumer PMax — Shopping feed and creative focus.
EdTech
EdTech PMax — enrolment and trial sign-up campaigns.
Climate & Sustainability
Green tech PMax — awareness and lead generation.
AI & SaaS
AI product PMax — demo request and trial campaigns.
Frequently Asked Questions — Performance Max Management
Find Out If Your Performance Max Is Actually Delivering Real Revenue — or Just Impressive-Looking Reports. Free.
Book a free 30-minute PMax audit with a certified Digitly specialist. We'll analyse your audience signals, asset groups, exclusions and attribution settings — and show you what your PMax is really delivering versus what the dashboard suggests.
If the audit shows your PMax is genuinely well-configured, we'll tell you honestly. We'd rather earn trust with the truth.
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Industry We Serve
eCommerce & D2C