Performance Max: Branded Traffic and Branded Exclusions

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing, Google's Performance Max campaigns have emerged as a powerful tool for advertisers. By leveraging machine learning and automation, Performance Max campaigns optimize ad delivery across all Google inventory from a single campaign. However, when dealing with brand traffic, it's crucial to understand how Performance Max works and why branded exclusions can be a game-changer for isolating campaign performance data.

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What is Performance Max?

Performance Max is a goal-based campaign type that allows advertisers to access all of Google's inventory through a single campaign. This includes YouTube, Display, Search, Discover, Gmail, and Maps. The primary advantage of Performance Max is its ability to drive performance based on specific conversion goals, utilizing Google's machine learning to optimize bids and placements in real-time.

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How does Performance Max Works with Brand Traffic?

Brand traffic refers to users who search for your brand name or branded terms. These users are typically more familiar with your business and closer to making a purchase decision. Incorporating brand traffic into Performance Max campaigns can inflate performance metrics because branded searches generally have higher click-through rates (CTR) and conversion rates compared to non-branded searches.

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However, this can present a challenge when trying to measure the effectiveness of your Performance Max campaigns. If branded traffic is included, it can be difficult to discern whether your campaign is genuinely driving new customer acquisition or simply capturing existing demand from brand-aware users.

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Additionally, PMAX is a goal-based campaign, so Google will often gravitate towards ad spend that will directly reach the campaign conversion or conversion value goal that was set up for the specific objective. This can often be users who are searching for your branded terms and can inflate the ROAS numbers you are seeing in your account. 

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The Role of Branded Exclusions

Branded exclusions involve excluding brand-related keywords from your campaigns. This practice helps in isolating the performance data of non-branded search terms, providing a clearer picture of your campaign's effectiveness in attracting new customers.

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 Benefits of Branded Exclusions

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1. Accurate Performance Measurement:

   By excluding branded terms, you can more accurately measure the impact of your Performance Max campaigns on attracting new customers. This allows for a better assessment of campaign performance based on non-branded search traffic.

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2. Improved Budget Allocation:

   With a clearer understanding of how non-branded terms are performing, you can allocate your budget more effectively. Instead of spending on users who are already familiar with your brand, you can focus on reaching new audiences and driving incremental growth.

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3. Enhanced Optimization

   Isolating non-branded traffic provides more precise data for optimization. You can identify which keywords, creatives, and placements are driving conversions from new customers, enabling more targeted and effective adjustments to your campaigns.

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4. Better Search Term Insights:

   Understanding the performance of non-branded search terms can offer valuable insights into market trends and customer behavior. This information can inform broader marketing strategies and help refine your overall approach.

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How to Implement Branded Exclusions in Performance Max Campaigns

1. Utilizing the Tools & Settings in the dropdown menu, under shared library click Brand Lists

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2. Click the Create a Brand List (if none have been created in the past) 

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3. Name the Brand List and then enter your brand and save the domain 

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If you brand does not exist already in the dropdown, you can request your brand to the Google Ads Library. Click Request a Brand, and then enter your details below. 

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4. In the Campaign settings tab, under additional settings, you will see the brand exclusion option.

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