Performance Max Integration with Gemini AI

If you are a marketer running Performance Max campaigns or if you are thinking about trying them, then this update is for you.

We have seen Performance Max campaigns work especially well for e-commerce campaigns here at Digital Willow, but often we find we are unable to test them for every campaign because, simply put, we just don’t have the range of creative assets needed to get started.

Well, that friction, just got significantly reduced.

Google Performance Max Ads have incorporated Google Gemini (previously Bard) AI into their campaigns. What this means for Digital Willow clients…

  • Digital Willow can now generate images and text for your campaign with the support of Gemini. For the time being, this is only available in English, but other languages are likely to roll out over time.
  • Image updates: At Digital Willow, we’ll be able to utilise this AI-supported tech to help bring greater detail to your campaign graphics and images.
  • Integration with external platforms: Our capabilities using Performance Max will be strengthened by some further integrations to help provide our clients with a greater variety of output options.

With Gemini, customising ads to different and specific audiences will be far quicker and easier than ever before, increasing the likelihood of conversions.

We are also pleased to say that previews will also not be possible via a link and without the need for you to log into the platform (whoop, that is one less boring piece of admin on our list!).

Marketing Responsibly

As a leading digital marketing agency, it’s our responsibility to ensure that we adhere to the highest standards of brand safety for our clients when advertising for them.

As it stands, the AI system behind the Gemini software has been black-boxed by Google. This means the way that Performance Max processes a user’s input to create a specific output remains undisclosed.

Without knowing how this system processes the input, marketers have no way of accurately predicting if the intended campaign message will be conveyed accurately or where they will be placed.

Having little control over ad placements can potentially threaten our clients’ brand reputation. Additionally, lacking sufficient visibility can make it challenging for advertisers to optimise their advertising budget effectively, potentially leading to inefficient allocation of resources. Therefore, it’s essential for Google to address these concerns and provide advertisers with the tools and transparency they need to ensure brand safety and maximise the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns.

Getting the Most out of Performance Max with Digital Willow

At the end of the day, however, Google’s dominance in global searches cannot be overlooked (it’s well over 90% according to sources like Statcounter). As such, Performance Max can be a powerful tool for your paid media strategy if used wisely.

Here are some of Digital Willow’s recommendations on when to flex this tactic:

Strategic Testing: If you are starting out, only allocate a portion of your paid media budget to Performance Max. This allows a media buyer to test its effectiveness without overcommitting. If possible, leverage existing account data. Performance Max draws from historical campaign data such as existing conversions (the previous 2-3 month’s), active remarketing audiences, and high performing keywords.

E-commerce Advantage: Digital Willow can testament to Performance Max excelling at driving e-commerce conversions. Prioritise this tactic if online sales are a core goal.

Brand Sensitivity: If precise and controlled brand messaging is critical, Performance Max automation may not be the best fit.

Holistic Approach: Performance Max should be one tool in your paid media toolbox. Don’t abandon other proven strategies, but use it to complement and expand your reach across Google’s network.

Quality Assets: It goes without saying that the higher the quality of images, the better chance we have to maximise Performance Max’s potential.

Clear Goals: Performance Max works best with defined conversion goals (sales, leads, CPA targets). Again, having some historical account data helps with this, as it guides our team on realistic KPIs to work towards.

Patience: Performance Max takes 6 weeks to gather and learn from the data. This is the average learning phase as it essentially consists of 7 tactics/campaigns in one. If you want quick results, this strategy isn’t for you.

Continuous Measurement: As with all paid media it is essential we track, optimise and analyse performance closely. There are many levers available to us in Google ads and these need require skill and attention.

We hope you found these tips helpful and if you would like a more tailored conversation for your current marketing challenges, please get in touch.