Pmax Auto Generated Videos and Experiences
As a Google Analytics and digital marketing expert, I'm always on the lookout for innovative tools and strategies to enhance my advertising efforts. Recently, I decided to experiment with Google's Performance Max (PMax) campaigns to promote my Google Ads services. PMax is an exciting new campaign type that uses Google's AI to optimise ad placements across all Google properties. Here’s a detailed look at my experience and the five videos it generated.
Why Performance Max?
Performance Max is designed to help advertisers reach their marketing goals by utilizing Google's machine learning algorithms to deliver the best possible results. It combines insights from various Google channels, including YouTube, Display, Search, Discover, Gmail, and Maps, to create a unified campaign that maximises performance.
The Setup
Setting up a PMax campaign is straightforward. I provided the necessary assets, including headlines, descriptions, images, logos, and videos. The key is to offer a variety of assets that Google's AI can mix and match to create the most effective ads. For my campaign, I focused on promoting my Google Ads consulting services, emphasising expertise, results, and value. The Ga4 is fine as I rank highly in many geos for that.
The Videos
Here are the five videos that PMax generated for my campaign. They are simple yet effective in conveying the core message of my services. I should have uploaded a better logo!
Gemini’s Role
The PMax campaign utilised Google's Gemini AI to generate these videos. While they are relatively basic in terms of production value, they effectively communicate the key messages and call-to-actions. Gemini’s AI capabilities are impressive, and I’m confident that the technology will only continue to improve, providing even more refined and engaging ad creatives in the future. Its better than what I can do with Da Vinci Resolve anyway.
Results and Insights
After running the PMax campaign for a few days, I’ve observed several outcomes:
- Junk Traffic: I seem to be getting a lot of traffic from South Africa asking about teaching them how to sell online.
- Random Chats: I have people starting chats and not saying anything
- No Good Leads: Early days and its still learning
- Add Audiences: I added people interested in Shopify and Woo commerce. I guess that will produce better results than just people generally looking for ads help.
- Look at the Insights tab: You can get a lot of information from there.
Conclusion
My experience with Performance Max hasn't been great. The AI-driven approach and the versatility of PMax campaigns offer a powerful tool for advertisers looking to maximise their reach and performance but for marketers like me, its not as effective. Its still early days though but from my experience of SEO, people don't use Google to find SEO companies.
While the generated videos are basic, they serve their purpose well, and with the ongoing advancements in AI technology, I’m excited to see how tools like Gemini will continue to evolve and enhance digital advertising.
If you’re looking to optimise your Google Ads strategy and achieve exceptional results, consider giving Performance Max a try. And if you need expert guidance to navigate the complexities of Google Ads, feel free to reach out to me.
Ben has a BEng (Hons) in Computer Science and 20 years of experience in online marketing, specialising in SEO, lead generation and affiliate marketing. After spending over a decade as an igaming affiliate, he has decided to concentrate on GA4 training and SEO Audits.