{"id":10161,"date":"2024-06-28T09:56:39","date_gmt":"2024-06-28T09:56:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/?p=10161"},"modified":"2025-04-23T12:46:47","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T12:46:47","slug":"decoding-pmax-seasonality-adjustments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/decoding-pmax-seasonality-adjustments\/","title":{"rendered":"18 PMax secrets: Seasonality adjustments &#038; more"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>When it comes to Performance Max (PMax) campaigns, there&#8217;s always a lot more ground to cover. During my Q&amp;A marathon after our most recent webinar \u2013 <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/en\/talks-and-webinars\/performance-max-decoded\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Performance Max Decoded<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 I ran out of time to answer all the burning PMax questions you had on your minds. Which is a shame, since you brought up a lot of interesting stuff \u2013 from <strong>PMax seasonality adjustments<\/strong>, to <strong>brand exclusions<\/strong> and your critical <strong>first-party data<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lucky for you, I&#8217;ve <strong>collected the 18 hottest questions<\/strong> and will answer them for you in detail here!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a sequel, if you will, to our <a href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/hot-questions-about-pmax-campaigns-vs-shopping\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hot PMax questions: best campaign setup, reporting, incrementality &amp; more<\/a> blog. So make sure to give that one a read if there are any more open PMax questions for you after reading this. We&#8217;ve updated it recently, so chances are <strong>you&#8217;ll get your answers!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Without further ado, <strong>let&#8217;s dive in:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<\/div><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/decoding-pmax-seasonality-adjustments\/#pmax-seasonality-adjustments-optimizations-more\" >PMax seasonality adjustments, optimizations &amp; more<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/decoding-pmax-seasonality-adjustments\/#uncommon-use-cases\" >(Un)common use cases<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/decoding-pmax-seasonality-adjustments\/#getting-the-most-out-of-pmax\" >Getting the most out of PMax<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/decoding-pmax-seasonality-adjustments\/#advanced-strategies\" >Advanced strategies<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/decoding-pmax-seasonality-adjustments\/#your-next-steps\" >Your next steps<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-pmax-seasonality-adjustments-optimizations-amp-more\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"pmax-seasonality-adjustments-optimizations-more\"><\/span>PMax seasonality adjustments, optimizations &amp; more<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-do-you-think-of-agencies-that-set-up-pmax-campaigns-and-rarely-manage-them-shouldn-t-there-be-regular-optimizations\">What do you think of agencies that set up PMax campaigns and rarely manage them? Shouldn\u2019t there be regular optimizations?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When Google first started selling PMax, we had one rep who said you can turn on PMax and just go on vacation for the rest of the month. <strong>That\u2019s not quite true as it turns out. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every time I host a webinar about PMax, I reliably get about 30 questions. I now have a spreadsheet with over 120 questions in it, and this is my third time writing a PMax Q&amp;A article. Not my idea of vacation lol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, yes: there should be regular optimization in your PMax campaigns. Ideas include <strong>but are not limited to:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Campaign setup:<\/strong><br>Campaign structure, asset group structure, bid strategy, budget<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Assets &amp; ad content:<\/strong><br>Images, videos, extensions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Audience strategy:<\/strong><br>audience signals, locations, exclusions, NCA strategies<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Destinations<\/strong>:<br>URL expansion, page feeds<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Competition:<\/strong><br>Price benchmarks, auction insights<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tracking &amp; measurement:<\/strong><br>Conversion tracking, conversion value, split testing, MMM\/lift studies<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>And more \u2026<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Hope that answers your question. (*cough* <a href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/en\/demo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>call us<\/strong><\/a> *cough*)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-do-changes-to-troas-vs-pmax-seasonality-adjustments-work-together-or-against-each-other\">Do changes to tROAS vs PMax seasonality adjustments work together or against each other? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>They don\u2019t necessarily confuse the algorithm, but they should <strong>serve different purposes<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your target ROAS is a core steering component of your campaign (arguably business goal). It should remain rather stable, changing not more often than every 14 days. Your PMax seasonality adjustments are highly flexible and designed for periods of a week or less, max 14 days. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So you\u2019ve got a short-term measure and a mid-term measure. If you happen to change them at the same time I wouldn\u2019t sweat it, but if you\u2019re purposely changing them at the same time I think it\u2019s worth questioning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"572\" src=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-28-at-11.24.03-1024x572.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10196\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-28-at-11.24.03-1024x572.png 1024w, https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-28-at-11.24.03-300x167.png 300w, https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-28-at-11.24.03.png 1394w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tracked 12 months of PMax data: tROAS handles decreases better. Avoid changes over 30% for stability.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-best-practices-should-i-follow-for-making-seasonality-adjustments-in-pmax\">What best practices should I follow for making seasonality adjustments in PMax?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Generally speaking, when we conduct seasonality adjustments, we make sure to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Analyze Historical Data<\/strong>: Review past performance data to identify trends and peak periods.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Set<\/strong> <strong>Adjustment Periods<\/strong>: Use this data to set specific time frames for adjustments, such as Black Friday or the holiday season.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Adjust Bids and Budgets<\/strong>: Increase bids and budgets during peak periods to capture more traffic and decrease them during slow periods to save on ad spend.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Monitor and Refine<\/strong>: Continuously monitor performance and refine adjustments based on real-time data.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-do-you-optimize-the-asset-signals\">Do you optimize the asset signals?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I think you meant to write \u201c<strong>audience signals<\/strong>\u201d (which are attached to the asset group). This is an interesting idea that I don\u2019t personally have experience with, <strong>but I\u2019ll dare to comment:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Audience signals are hard to optimize. They are start signals and Google will learn from them and expand on them in ways that we <strong>cannot know or control<\/strong>. You can update audience signals with fresh data, but this again acts as another start signal, effectively a new cohort \u2013 and Google will learn and expand on it. The previous \u201ccohort\u201d and its expansions remain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The challenge of 1P audiences <strong>is the 1P part<\/strong>. For the sake of argument, let\u2019s imagine you upload a list of brand-loyal customers. <strong>Google doesn\u2019t know<\/strong> that they are brand-loyal. It will learn other things about them, which may or may not correlate to loyalty, and then expand on that, which may or may not find more of who you\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-does-brand-exclusion-improve-my-return-on-ad-spend-roas-in-pmax\">Does brand exclusion improve my return on ad spend (ROAS) in PMax?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It absolutely can. By excluding brand terms and URLs where your site already performs well organically, you can focus your ad spend on more competitive,<strong> high-converting non-brand terms. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This can improve your ROAS by ensuring your budget is spent on acquiring new customers rather than paying for existing brand traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-is-there-any-script-you-recommend-for-tracking-traffic-split-by-network\">Is there any script you recommend for tracking traffic split by network?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, I\u2019d recommend Mike Rhodes\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/github.com\/agencysavvy\/pmax\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pmax Insights Script<\/a> (no affiliation). It\u2019s based on research by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/tobias-hink\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tobias Hink<\/a> and it works by reverse calculating and estimating more detailed placement reporting than what Google offers. There are both free and paid versions available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You might also be interested in our free<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/en\/google-ads-scripts\/search-term-insights\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">PMax Brand Traffic Analyzer<\/a><\/strong>, which shows the volume and performance of brand traffic over time. Plus we have channel insights and <strong>other exclusive insights built into our platform.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"lyte-wrapper\" style=\"width:853px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe hidef\" id=\"WYL_Tn-LPxaDIJ4\"><div id=\"lyte_Tn-LPxaDIJ4\" data-src=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FTn-LPxaDIJ4%2Fmaxresdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Tn-LPxaDIJ4\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FTn-LPxaDIJ4%2F0.jpg\" alt=\"YouTube video thumbnail\" width=\"853\" height=\"460\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:853px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><figcaption>Stop paying the &#8216;Google Tax&#8217;: PMax doesn&#8217;t care about your brand, but you do. So stop it from cannibalizing your traffic.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-un-common-use-cases\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"uncommon-use-cases\"><\/span>(Un)common use cases<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-is-pmax-suitable-for-companies-of-all-sizes-it-doesn-t-seem-to-meet-the-needs-of-large-enterprises\">Is PMax suitable for companies of all sizes? It doesn&#8217;t seem to meet the needs of large enterprises.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes and no. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the one hand, the <strong>high level of automation benefits SMBs<\/strong>, which might not have the knowledge or resources to manage more complex campaign types. On the other hand,&nbsp; PMax is incredibly thirsty for data and budget \u2013 so in that way enterprises <strong>have an advantage<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Either way, PMax can look great in the platform \u2013 tons of revenue, great efficiency \u2013 and still not be working as hard as it could. Common problems include a <strong>dependence on brand traffic<\/strong>, remarketing, and bestsellers. As Performance Max seeks to <em><strong>maximize performance<\/strong><\/em> (like its name suggests) it can actually be a bit <strong>\u201clazy\u201d<\/strong> by pursuing sure bets, rather than focusing on <strong>what\u2019s important to your business.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So it definitely works for enterprise \u2013 <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/en\/clients\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">we\u2019ve proven that with clients like THG<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 but not necessarily out-of-the-box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Shared-Q2-24-Webinar-PMax-Decoded-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Hot PMax questions: seasonality adjustments, brand exclusion, first-party data\" class=\"wp-image-10166\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Shared-Q2-24-Webinar-PMax-Decoded-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Shared-Q2-24-Webinar-PMax-Decoded-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Shared-Q2-24-Webinar-PMax-Decoded-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Shared-Q2-24-Webinar-PMax-Decoded-640x360.png 640w, https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Shared-Q2-24-Webinar-PMax-Decoded.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u00a9 Connor MacDonald, CMO <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ridge.com\">Ridge.com<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-for-a-dtc-brand-with-1-2-million-euros-in-performance-spend-per-year-what-is-the-better-option-pmax-or-standard-shopping\">For a DTC brand with 1-2 million euros in performance spend per year, what is the better option? PMax or Standard Shopping?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Great question. The fact is, <strong>Standard Shopping still works<\/strong>. And while Google likes to portray the switch to PMax as completely seamless and a guaranteed home run, <strong>it\u2019s actually a serious decision<\/strong> for any business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are few thoughts to consider:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Are there Shopping-exclusive features that are <strong>crucial for you<\/strong>?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Conversely, are there <strong>PMax-exclusive features<\/strong> that could be big for you?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are you already <strong>using Smart Bidding<\/strong>?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do you have <strong>assets in place to take advantage<\/strong> of PMax?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How granular is your current build and do you have a <strong>path to consolidation<\/strong>?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do you have <strong>other campaign types<\/strong> to consider? (e.g. brand search, display, etc)<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Ultimately if you feel you\u2019ve hit a ceiling with Standard Shopping, PMax may be able to offer some additional raw performance power in exchange for some transparency and control. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We can help you make the call \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/en\/demo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">just reach out<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"cta-row-box-bluesolid\">\n<h3 class=\"cta-row-title\">See how we take back control of <br class=\"d-none d-md-block\"><b>Performance Max campaigns<\/b><\/h3>\n<a class=\"btn btn-gold-cta\" href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/en\/enhanced-performance-max\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Learn more <i class=\"fa fa-angle-right\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-getting-the-most-out-of-pmax\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"getting-the-most-out-of-pmax\"><\/span>Getting the most out of PMax<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-any-tactics-for-decreasing-the-share-of-search-in-pmax\">Any tactics for decreasing the share of search in PMax?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You can limit PMax\u2019s ability to serve Search by doing any\/all of the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>building a feed-only campaign (no assets)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>turning off URL expansion<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>opting out of Automatically Created Assets.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Note that these tactics can also <strong>limit other kinds of placements<\/strong> besides just Search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-many-different-campaigns-with-varying-roas-steps-would-you-recommend\">How many different campaigns with varying ROAS steps would you recommend?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We typically see 2 to 7, and <strong>most commonly 3<\/strong>, but there are exceptions too. There\u2019s no hard and fast rule. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>It will depend on:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>the size and complexity<\/strong> of your catalog<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>the amount<\/strong> of monthly conversions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>and of course also <strong>your budget<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>We talked in the webinar about taking care when splitting conversions, but also remember that campaigns need to have <strong>sufficient budget<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By the way, budget is also a lever: In principle you could even have two or more campaigns with identical ROAS targets \u2013 or even no ROAS target \u2013 but notably different budgets. So it\u2019s important to <strong>consider the interplay of both<\/strong> your target and your budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You don\u2019t *have* to make it rocket science, <strong>but we did<\/strong>. This is an area into which we\u2019ve invested considerable research, and for which we have AI\/ML that supports us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-can-large-corporations-manage-assets-effectively-in-the-browser-ui-it-seems-challenging-to-achieve-a-positive-roi\">How can large corporations manage assets effectively in the browser UI? It seems challenging to achieve a positive ROI.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To be honest, I don\u2019t think you\u2019re missing anything here \u2013<strong> it is a pain.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Considering that Google wants advertisers to use assets, they are pushing this through ad strength scores etc, my assumption (and hope) is that they will work on improving this. My only concern is that right now they seem more focused on generative AI tools and automatically created assets, <strong>r<\/strong>ather than supporting workflows that use conventional assets. <strong>I think it\u2019s a case of Shiny Object Syndrome.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>On the bright side<\/strong>, at Google Marketing Live 2024, they announced that asset-level reporting is on the way, and that they are offering more brand control on AI-generated assets, for what it\u2019s worth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-do-you-use-custom-first-party-data-to-promote-products-important-to-your-business\">How do you use custom first-party data to promote products important to your business?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To be clear, by first-party data, I\u2019m thinking <strong>more broadly than 1P audiences<\/strong>. I mean anything that you <strong>and only you know about your products<\/strong>, brands, categories, etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That could be, for example, your stock depth, your sell-through rate, your margins, your fulfilment, your order openers, your launches, your loss leaders, or any number of first-party attributes. <strong>Google simply doesn\u2019t know about this off-channel data<\/strong>, so it *can\u2019t* optimize based on it. It will optimize <strong>purely based on the channel data<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can change this situation by scoring your inventory based on your first-party data, and ensuring they are always in the correct campaign, which is a combination of budget and efficiency target. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s also important is that products can end up in the same campaign for different reasons: for example one product might get pushed because it\u2019s a high-margin and behind sales plan, while another product might get pushed because it\u2019s a tool for grabbing market share. You can still <strong>have a relatively consolidated campaign structure<\/strong>, yet pursue a complex blend of goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/en\/demo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">We have software<\/a><\/strong> that helps you with that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"456\" src=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-28-at-11.17.44-1024x456.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10191\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-28-at-11.17.44-1024x456.png 1024w, https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-28-at-11.17.44-300x134.png 300w, https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-28-at-11.17.44-1536x684.png 1536w, https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-28-at-11.17.44.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Switching to feed-only campaigns, powered by first-party data, revived the <a href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/en\/case-studies\/miami-heat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MiamiHEAT<\/a>&#8216;s brand search efforts.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-advanced-strategies\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"advanced-strategies\"><\/span>Advanced strategies<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-if-you-move-a-product-from-one-campaign-to-another-will-it-retain-its-performance-history-from-the-previous-campaign\">If you move a product from one campaign to another, will it retain its performance history from the previous campaign?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s right, product history is matched to the Item ID so, for example, switching between campaigns doesn\u2019t change that history but <strong>assigning a new item ID would wipe it clean. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our approach views campaigns as temporary vehicles rather than permanent homes, and that\u2019s fine for the product history. However, it\u2019s worth noting you don\u2019t want an excessive amount of volatility in your product movement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A product should not be constantly jumping back and forth between campaigns \u2013 I call this \u201cflickering.\u201d If this occurs then there needs to be calibration. The sweet spot is when products are evaluated daily, but only moved when there is a meaningful reason why.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-does-the-bcg-matrix-method-work-for-companies-with-large-data-sets\">Does the BCG Matrix method work for companies with large data sets?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Poor dogs and stars, heroes and zombies, leaders and bleeders \u2013 there are many names for this approach, and yes, it can be a starting point for large data sets. In fact, many data sets are probably too small to use it effectively! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A limitation of this approach is that it can be deceptively challenging to determine how products should be categorized, since most products lack data. You end up splitting hairs to decide what goes in what quadrant, and there\u2019s no statistical significance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So yes it works, but as a starting point \u2013 I wouldn\u2019t stop there. The beauty of being at a company with large data sets is that\u2026 <strong>you work at a company with large data sets!<\/strong> You can bring in off-channel data that PMax doesn\u2019t already know about and that has a much greater potential to impact the business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A four-box model like the BCG Matrix is two-dimensional, but you can <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/multi-dimensional-product-segmentation\/\">evaluate your products along multiple dimensions.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-your-next-steps\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"your-next-steps\"><\/span>Your next steps<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>That was a rollercoaster ride, wasn&#8217;t it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the all-powerful Google algorithm brought you here, then we&#8217;d highly recommend <a href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/en\/talks-and-webinars\/performance-max-decoded\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">you watch the full webinar<\/a> for a deeper dive into Performance Max&#8217;s inner workings and how to turn the most common challenges into your strategic success story!<br><br><strong>Watch on-demand: <a href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/en\/talks-and-webinars\/performance-max-decoded\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Performance Max Decoded: Turning challenges into strategic wins<\/a><\/strong><br><br>And as I wrote above: If there are any more questions you want answered, make sure to check out <a href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/hot-questions-about-pmax-campaigns-vs-shopping\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hot PMax questions: best campaign setup, reporting, incrementality &amp; more<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or just contact us and we&#8217;ll figure it out for you!<br><br>We are a bunch of pretty smart pumpkins who can help you get the Performance Max setup that<strong> aligns with YOUR business goals, and NOT Google&#8217;s.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-16018d1d wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-50\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-black-color has-luminous-vivid-amber-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/en\/demo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Let&#8217;s talk!<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"lyte-wrapper\" style=\"width:853px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe hidef\" id=\"WYL_DLIkXC3aMSw\"><div id=\"lyte_DLIkXC3aMSw\" data-src=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FDLIkXC3aMSw%2Fmaxresdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/DLIkXC3aMSw\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FDLIkXC3aMSw%2F0.jpg\" alt=\"YouTube video thumbnail\" width=\"853\" height=\"460\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:853px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With highly automated campaign types, like Google&#8217;s Performance Max, on the rise, the inherent AI limitations in PPC marketing become more glaring than ever. Should marketers fear the &#8216;robocalypse&#8217;?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":10172,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[479,435],"tags":[104,476,700,695,232,698],"class_list":["post-10161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-google-ads","category-adwords-automation","tag-ecommerce","tag-google-ads","tag-online-retail","tag-performance-max","tag-ppc","tag-premier-partner"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.7 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>PMax seasonality adjustments &amp; brand exclusions<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We dive deep into the PMax challenges you struggle with the most. 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