Author: WMWL Support

• Google has tons of data, they are better at targeting than we are
• Pmax does not use keywords ( just search themes )
• TIP: vertical videos in Pmax are super good for converting mobile users.
• Pmax generally casts a wide net, then zeros in on targeting the correct people. This can make some people impatient because they see a wild start and feel they are wasting their money, but it takes 4-6 weeks for Pmax to learn the market.
• dba Platform is able to break down each Pmax channel (display, search, maps, etc) so you can see what area is performing the best. Otherwise we can only see “cross network” on GA4, so this is a selling point for dba

When you make a major change within the first 6 weeks, does it extend the learning period? Yes, it does extend it. In general its 4-6 weeks.

How can you promote on Google Maps? Pmax Campaign

Top Pmax Mistakes (and fixes)

1. Mistake: only using one campaign type
   1. Pmax isn’t everything.  Pair it with a search campaign (don’t replace search, have both). Text campaigns are better for branding and specific terms.
2. Mistake: not using exclusions
   1. Use content suitability and placement exclusions
   2. ensure content suitability is set to “standard”
   3. You can do up to 65000 keyword exclusions. dba has a list they use automatically for most accounts.
3. Mistake: not telling Pmax who your customers are
   1. Use search themes and audience signals
   2. You can upload customer lists, but you need 1000. Once you reach 1000, it unlocks customer acquisition, which helps Google target new people based on the qualities of the people in the list.
4. Mistake: not assigning values to conversions
   1. Use ROI
   2. Conversion value rules can help bid up or down for certain devices, locations, and audiences
5. Mistake: No visibility in your inventory
   1. use custom labels with attribute rules
   2. Maintain at least 50 products per listing group to ensure visibility and performance. Google prefers big lists.

Can you exclude channels? For example, a funeral home doesn’t want to remarket or push death on ads.
This is tricky, but you could get around it by omitting certain assets (like video). Pmax learns, so another channel might be a better choice. Also check insights to help guide you.

If you repeat search terms is it good or bad? For example, “nanaimo plumber” vs “plumber nanaimo”
Google feels it is the same, so no need to repeat.

Can you reduce Pmax spend to allocate more towards certain listings? If you strip out assets and put in exclusions, you can push the spend towards other things. There is also an option to opt out of video, but you need to contact Google.

Is it better to tweak a Pmax campaign weekly or do large changes and sit back and wait for results? It is better to wait, but you can use experiments (45-60 days) to help with decision making.

If you want to direct users to use a form on your website, is it better to set up conversions as form submissions (GA4 event) or use page views? Use GA4 key event with a value, set as primary. You can make a 2nd conversion for page views. Look at bounce reports.

If you are running Google Ads, consider FB and Microsoft. Microsoft users tend to be older, have higher household income, and competition is generally lower than Google.