In my last blog, I covered the foundational case for Performance Max. Now I want to get into what the data actually shows when advertisers run PMax and Search (SEM) campaigns simultaneously.
Most advertisers treat these as separate decisions, but the data tells a different story. Search campaigns are reactive by nature, capturing users who are already looking for what you offer. PMax works the other way, using AI-driven audience signals to find and reach the right people before they ever type a query. Together, they cover the full spectrum of demand, from the audience actively searching to the one that does not know you yet.
Google reports that advertisers running both see an average 18% increase in conversions at a comparable cost to Search alone. That number reflects what I observe with my own clients, and it is why I recommend this approach across the board.
Best Practices For Running PMax Alongside SEM
The single biggest mistake I see advertisers make with PMax is underloading their assets. Google needs room to work. That means filling out all 15 Headlines, 5 Descriptions, and 5 Long Headlines, providing 20 image variations across the 4 dimensions Google asks for, and including both vertical and horizontal video assets wherever possible. When you give Google the full asset library, it can test and optimize across every available placement, matching the right format to the right moment in the buyer journey. Video may be what introduces your brand to a new audience, while a Search or Gmail ad is what ultimately drives the conversion.
Providing only the minimum ties one hand behind Google’s back, and in a competitive marketplace, that limitation shows up in your results.
At CSG, we also keep creative specific to the audience we are targeting within each PMax ad. We build distinct search themes for each ad and develop copy and creative tailored to those themes. When the audience feels the ad speaks directly to their situation, relevance goes up and so does performance.
Who Benefits the Most From This Approach
Any advertiser with the assets to run a PMax campaign stands to benefit, and if you are already running Search, you likely have most of what you need. The lift to get a PMax campaign live is smaller than most teams expect.
Legacy brands that have plateaued with Search are particularly strong candidates. PMax opens up new inventory and puts your brand in front of audiences who have not found you through search yet, building the consideration that converts later. Brands in competitive categories also find value in the channel diversity PMax provides, reaching their audience through formats and placements their competitors are not using.
A Smarter Way to Scale Google Ads Performance
Search captures existing demand. PMax helps create it. Running these two campaign types in tandem gives advertisers more coverage, more data signals, and more opportunities to convert across the full funnel. The brands seeing the strongest results on Google right now are not choosing one over the other. They are running both and letting each do what it does best.