When Google Smart Shopping campaigns switched over to Performance Max campaigns, our data team noticed a change in Search Ads performance.

Everything you need to know about Performance Max campaigns

We looked into this and found what had caused an initial dip in performance, and why our Search Ads campaigns then increased past the level of non-Bidnamic campaigns the next month.

The situation

Around August and September, we saw a lot of campaigns switching from Smart Shopping to Performance Max. This was due to Google sunsetting Smart Shopping campaigns and automatically switching any Smart Shopping campaigns over to Performance Max that hadn’t already been changed manually.

We saw that our Search Ads campaigns initially dropped in conversions in September as Performance Max was implemented, whereas non-Bidnamic campaigns saw an increase during this time.

As shown in the graph below, Bidnamic Search Ads campaigns then increased in conversions by October, exceeding the level of non-Bidnamic campaigns which continued to drop.

Graph showing the number of conversions for both Bidnamic and non-Bidnamic text ad campaigns from August to October

Why did performance drop?

Due to the influx in Performance Max campaigns, there was increased competition on Google Search. 

Because of this increased competition, the data our technology platform collects to determine bids was less relevant, causing a drop in conversions.

How did performance increase in October?

By October, our technology had gathered enough data and had learned to adapt to the surge in competition. This helped us optimize our Search Ads campaigns to compete successfully, increasing conversions for our clients.

Non-Bidnamic campaigns suffered because they were unable to adapt to the increase in new competition, causing their October performance to dip slightly below that of September.

Clicks per month were also affected by the initial switch. However, Bidnamic campaigns quickly recovered and drove traffic to Search Ads by October.

Graph showing the number of clicks for both Bidnamic and non-Bidnamic text ad campaigns from August to October

The rapid performance increase is thanks to our machine learning platform which quickly adapts to changes in competition to make sure our clients beat competitors in terms of both conversions and clicks. This happens without the fuss of manual bid management which can be hugely time-consuming.

While Google Shopping management is our primary offering, we also offer Search Ads management for existing clients looking to optimize their performance on both Google Search and Bing.

Book a demo with one of our specialists to discuss how we can help your Google Shopping channel grow.

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