So, you are a search engine marketing expert who likes to meet prospective buyers where they are and believes in the power of Google’s AI-powered Performance Max or PMax campaigns.
With all the benefits of running PMax campaigns, there is also the other side of the coin: You don’t have much control over what’s going on BTS (behind the scenes).
Enter PMax scripts, the game-changer for optimizing your paid campaigns. They provide the control you need in the ‘black box’ situation of PMax campaigns.
If you’d like to brush up on the basics of PMax campaigns and everything they entail, please read our blog, “A Detailed Insight Into Google’s Performance Max Campaigns.”
In today’s blog, we will be addressing the following:
By the end of this blog, you will be able to determine the right kind of PMax scripts your campaign needs.
So, without further ado, let’s max it out! 😉 (pun totally intended!)
An insight into the key PMax scripts for paid marketers
To quote Harshit Kapasi, our SEM expert at Mavlers, “As PPC professionals, we thrive on data to optimize our campaigns, reduce wasted ad spend, and drive conversions. However, Google’s Performance Max campaigns often feel like a black box, with limited performance data available in the Google Ads interface.”
To address this challenge, we’ve sourced and successfully deployed these four powerful Google Ads scripts that will empower you to unlock valuable insights and take control of your PMax campaigns.
1. PMax insights script
Script:
https://mikerhodes.circle.so/c/start?post_login_redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fmikerhodes.circle.so%2F
Author- Mike Rhodes
Note: This is a paid script. However, we also have a free version of the same script available. The free version will have limited data.
Challenges the script seeks to solve
- Unclear ad placement
- Inability to determine where ads are being shown (shopping, display, video, or search).
- Difficulty in assessing the effectiveness of different ad placements.
- Inefficient product performance analysis
- Challenges in categorizing products based on performance without a comprehensive product matrix.
- Difficulty in prioritizing budget and efforts towards high-performing products.
- Suboptimal budget allocation
- Ineffective distribution of budget across different channels and products due to lack of placement and performance data.
- Risk of overspending on underperforming categories and placements.
- Reduced campaign efficiency
- Inability to make data-driven decisions to improve campaign efficiency and effectiveness.
- Difficulty in identifying opportunities for campaign optimization and growth.
- Inadequate reporting and strategy development
- Challenges in providing stakeholders with accurate and actionable insights.
- Difficulty in developing informed strategies for future campaigns without comprehensive data.
- Increased management time and effort
- Due to missing insights, more time is spent on manual data collection and analysis.
- Increased complexity in managing and optimizing campaigns without automated tools and clear data.
An insight into how the PMax Insights script helps solve the above challenges
- Enhanced ad placement visibility
- Provides clear insights into where Google is showing your ads (shopping, display, video, or search), allowing for better assessment of placement effectiveness.
- Enables more informed decisions on budget allocation and placement optimization.
- Detailed search category insights
- Identifies the specific search categories triggering your ads, similar to search query data.
- Allows for precise keyword and targeting strategy adjustments, improving ad relevance and performance.
- Comprehensive product performance analysis
- Utilizes a ‘product matrix’ to categorize all products into one of six performance buckets.
- Facilitates better resource allocation by focusing efforts and budget on high-performing products while addressing underperforming ones.
- Improved campaign efficiency and effectiveness
- Automates data collection and analysis, saving time and reducing manual efforts.
- Enhances overall campaign management by providing actionable insights, leading to more efficient and effective advertising strategies.
2. Exclude placements from Performance Max campaigns using scripts.
Script: https://gist.github.com/tonkikh/812f32d25f6db9ed5b3b1abaf76ccfa5
Author: Dmytro Tonkikh, TrueClicks & Chiliad
Challenges encountered:
- Unwanted ad placements
- Ads may appear on irrelevant websites or apps, reducing campaign effectiveness.
- Hard to manually identify and exclude poor-performing or inappropriate placements.
- Wasted budget
- The budget might be spent on placements that don’t contribute to campaign goals.
- Difficulty in efficiently reallocating budget to better-performing placements.
- Reduced control and transparency
- Limited control over where ads are displayed.
- Lack of transparency in ad placement reporting makes optimization challenging.
- Increased management complexity
- Managing and cleaning up placement lists can be time-consuming.
- Manual exclusion processes can be error-prone and inefficient.
Solutions offered by the script
- Automated placement exclusion
- Scripts can automatically identify and exclude undesirable placements.
- Saves time and reduces manual efforts involved in placement management.
- Enhanced ad performance
- Ensures ads are shown only on relevant and high-performing placements.
- Improves overall ad performance by focusing on effective placements.
- Optimized budget utilization
- Prevents wasted spend on poor placements.
- Allows better allocation of budget to productive placements.
- Improved campaign control
- Provides more control over where ads are shown.
- Enhances transparency and reporting on placement performance.
3. Performance Max trending search themes categories
Script: https://nilsrooijmans.com/google-ads-script-pmax-trending-search-categories/
Author: Nils Rooijmans
Challenges the script seeks to solve
- Identify growth opportunities: Rising search categories can indicate new growth opportunities and potential new product/service offerings.
- Reduce waste: Declining categories may require budget reallocation to more effective areas.
- Optimise creatives and landing pages: Tailor your assets based on current search trends to improve performance.
Solutions: How to use the script?
- Setup and access: Ensure you have access to the Google Ads API and a Google Sheet for the report.
- Script installation: Copy and paste the script into your Google Ads script editor and authenticate your account.
- Running the script: Schedule the script to run weekly, generating updated reports.
- Analyzing the report: Use the report to adjust your assets, add new keywords, and optimize your campaigns based on trends.
4. Performance Max non-converting search term alerts
Script: https://nilsrooijmans.com/google-ads-script-pmax-non-converting-search-term-alerts/
Author: Nils Rooijmans
Challenges encountered:
- Reduce wasted spend: Quickly identify and exclude non-converting search terms to stop budget waste.
- Gain transparency: Receive regular updates on search term performance, which is otherwise hidden in the PMax interface.
Solutions: How to use the script?
- Setup and access: Ensure access to the Google Ads API and configure email settings.
- Script installation: Copy and paste the script into your Google Ads script editor and authenticate your account.
- Running the script: Schedule the script to run weekly, sending email alerts with non-converting search terms.
- Analyzing the report: Review the report, add negative keywords, and adjust your campaigns to improve performance.
Performance Max campaigns may limit the data available through the Google Ads interface, but with the right scripts, you can gain valuable insights and control over your campaigns.
By using these four scripts, you can identify trending search categories and stay alert to non-converting search terms. This allows you to optimize your PPC performance and maximize your ROI. Embrace the power of data and take charge of your Performance Max campaigns today.
The road ahead
If you want to outsource your PPC campaigns and are confused about choosing between an offshore agency partner vs. a local agency, we have a guide for that!
Naina Sandhir - Content Writer
A content writer at Mavlers, Naina pens quirky, inimitable, and damn relatable content after an in-depth and critical dissection of the topic in question. When not hiking across the Himalayas, she can be found buried in a book with spectacles dangling off her nose!
Jay Patel - Subject Matter Expert (SME)
A results-driven digital marketer with 6 years of industry experience with expertise in paid media. He is known for his strong work ethic and ambitious nature, always seeking to tackle challenges and devise effective solutions for clients. His innovative approach and ability to adapt to the latest trends have consistently delivered exceptional results. Dedicated to continuous improvement, he remains committed to driving growth and achieving client success. He consistently meets deadlines with impressive efficiency, ensuring high productivity in all his projects.
Kashfi Azmi - Subject Matter Expert (SME)
Search and Social analyst with over 5 years of hands-on expertise in paid marketing, specializing in Google, Microsoft, Meta & LinkedIn Ads. Proven track record in lead generation, campaign optimization, and driving revenue growth. Strong project management skills, adept at collaborating with diverse teams and delivering exceptional results. Passionate about making a positive impact through impactful causes and dedicated to staying updated on industry trends. Effective communicator and team player committed to achieving organizational goals.
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