Google Ads has just announced a significant update that many advertisers have long been waiting for. Performance Max campaigns will now show search term data within the standard Search Terms report. This represents a major step forward in providing greater transparency and control to advertisers using Performance Max.
Previously, Performance Max operated largely as an automated, closed system. Advertisers had little visibility into the actual search queries triggering their ads. This lack of insight made it difficult to fully optimise campaigns, control budgets efficiently, or understand which terms were truly driving performance.
Greater Transparency and Control
Advertisers can now view the search terms associated with their Performance Max campaigns directly within the Search Terms report in Google Ads. This new visibility means it will be far easier to understand which queries are converting, which ones are not, and how to refine campaigns for better results.
Importantly, advertisers are also able to add negative keywords directly from the Search Terms report. This allows for quick action against irrelevant or poor-quality traffic, helping to ensure budgets are spent more efficiently.
This change builds on Google’s recent announcement that Performance Max campaigns would support negative keyword management at the account level, giving advertisers even more ways to tailor campaign performance to their specific goals.
Why This Matters for Advertisers
The introduction of search term data for Performance Max brings several key benefits:
- Improved optimisation: Being able to identify non-performing or irrelevant search queries allows advertisers to fine-tune their campaigns with greater precision.
- Better budget management: By excluding irrelevant searches, advertisers can ensure that more of their budget is spent on high-intent users.
- increased reporting and insight: Having access to search term data enables better reporting and analysis, helping advertisers understand exactly what is driving results.
- Stronger alignment with other campaign types: This update brings Performance Max closer in line with standard Search campaigns, making it easier to manage multiple campaign types within a single account.
A Shift in Google’s Approach
This move signals a broader shift in Google’s approach to automation and transparency. While automation will always be a key component of Performance Max, providing advertisers with deeper insights suggests that Google recognises the need for greater advertiser trust and control. It reflects feedback from the advertising community, which has long requested more visibility into how automated campaigns operate.
Google has also indicated that further improvements to Performance Max reporting are on the way, suggesting that this is just the beginning of a new era of greater advertiser empowerment.
