Google recently announced a significant new feature at the DMEXCO conference in Europe: the introduction of negative keyword exclusions for Performance Max campaigns. This function has been long awaited by many advertisers and is expected to be available in a beta version by the end of the year. 

Excluding Keywords in the Performance Max Campaign

With the new negative keywords, Performance Max campaigns can be set to exclude specific search terms. This was previously not possible through the Google Ads interface and required complex workarounds. This helps avoid irrelevant traffic and better tailor ads to the right audience.

In addition to the negative keywords, there are further updates for Performance Max:

Enhanced Insights and Reporting

Google now offers more detailed insights into the performance of Performance Max campaigns. These include:

Asset Coverage Reporting

This tool provides a comprehensive overview of the coverage and performance of the deployed assets.

Target Pacing Insights

Advertisers receive insights into the progress regarding target CPA and ROAS, making it easier to fine-tune campaigns.

More Languages for Generative AI Tools

Google is expanding its AI tools for Performance Max to six new languages, including German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, and Italian. This allows for the customization of texts and images in ads.

Enhanced Control Options

Additionally, Google is offering new brand controls for broad match ads. This means that brands can now have greater control over whether their ads appear for brand-related search queries or not.

Conclusion

The introduction of negative keywords in Performance Max is a significant step by Google to give advertisers more control and efficiency in their campaigns. Together with other new features like improved insights and AI-generated assets, Google clearly demonstrates that it is focusing more on the needs of advertisers. These new tools not only provide better control over the budget but also the opportunity to make campaigns more targeted and avoid unnecessary costs. Those who have been hesitant to use Performance Max should now seize the chance to test the new possibilities and optimize their campaigns accordingly.