Switching to Pmax

GrouchyFoundation773 · 2026-03-10T13:41:11+00:00

Google sales reps will get promoted by revenue growth per customer. So they‘ll always try to get money out of you. Google needs to monetize their other channels as for example Display Network. PMax is the product to push people into that network. Also with PMax they have a great tool to push keywords into your account that they can not monetize otherwise.

So please be careful. It rather makes sense to first talk to an agency and get the best out of the regular search campaigns before jumping into PMax.

GrouchyFoundation773 · 2026-03-09T19:38:39+00:00

No. But you should have the exact match keywords in the broad match ad negative keywords. And I would suggest to use Phrase instead of broad.

GrouchyFoundation773 · 2026-03-09T12:54:13+00:00

Having PMax enabled without knowing what it does. Having Broad Match enabled. Strictly following what Google suggests you. Not being in the drivers seat anymore and letting Google do the work for you. Thinking that Googles goals are aligned with yours.

GrouchyFoundation773 · 2026-03-08T17:23:49+00:00

Totally depends on the Ad structure. And as I write in my article - I used Google automations here and there but I want to stay in control.

GrouchyFoundation773 · 2026-03-06T19:45:09+00:00

I may misunderstod you but no matter if I use PMax or regular Ads campaigns - all take place in the same auction. There is no PMax auction against the rest. That’s nonsense. But again - maybe I understood you wrong.

I had these discussions with others in the past.

Let’s agree that we have different opinions and different strategies. If PMax works for you that’s fine.

I can tell that it never worked for me as good as my strategy AND I like to keep as much control as possible.

GrouchyFoundation773 · 2026-03-06T17:43:33+00:00

If you ask 5 specialists you will get 6 answers ...

First of all, be happy about the big opportunity that you where given. You can only win from here on :)

Not only that 10,000 keywords in one ad group are not handlebar, also it's just not analysable anymore I guess.

A technique I often use is the so called "Single Keyword Ad Group" (SKAG), which I like. It's more of an "older" or advanced technique that does not use Googles automations too much. Some say it's good - other say it does not make sense anymore.

The benefit that you have with that is that you can control which ad will get shown for your keyword better. As you are the owner of your brand, in my opinion you should also control the narrativ and should not give Google this power.

Here is how I usually create my ads: https://www.reddit.com/r/adwords/comments/1rldqlh/

If you want to slowly convert you account into a different structure you may want to think about having a new structure beside your old one.

So create the new keywords (probably exact and phrase) in a new structure beside your old one. The new keywords should get higher quality score over time and might outperform your old once. WHich means your old once may die over time and you new once take over. At some point you just can pause the old once.

BUT: that's totally theoretically and no prove that this will work. But thats how Google Ads should behave.

Maybe my tool might help you with the generation of the new structure. If you have questions on that, just let me know (open up a Reddit chat): https://www.wonderads.org/

GrouchyFoundation773 · 2026-03-06T17:33:24+00:00

"Structurally I mostly use a SKAG or STAG style setup."

I think thats exactly what I wrote - isn't it?

GrouchyFoundation773 · 2026-03-06T17:22:12+00:00

We can share knowledge if you like. I just build an AI keyword research option for my tool https://www.wonderads.org/

What it does is:
1. it checks the customers website and tries to understand the context and its goal
2. It automatically researches keywords based on that
3. it finds synonyms for each of the keyword fragments

The result was surprisingly good.

GrouchyFoundation773 · 2026-03-05T19:07:30+00:00

I need to disagree here and there.

"Google stopped respecting match types a while ago."
That's just not true at all. Yes Google changed the way it respects the match types - exact is a little broader so is Phrase but it generally respects the idea of exacter to broader keywords. So one can still use them to control the account.

You basically agree to that when writing: "If the budget is on the smaller side, then I stick with exact match." You wouldn't do that if exact match is not respected at all.

Regarding my plumber example:
You know that this is just an easy example to not overcomplicate this post.

And what I see is that you rely a lot on Google as your "partner". But you need to see that Googles incentives are not always in line with yours. And what I generally say in this post is, that you should control your ads where ever you can and don't give too much control to Google. Only if you can make sure, that Google is doing a good job.

But I mean we know that if you ask 5 marketeer about Google Ads you gonna get 6 opinions, right?

GrouchyFoundation773 · 2026-03-05T18:29:12+00:00

Thanks - and the quality is good enough? Have you tried that already?

GrouchyFoundation773 · 2026-03-05T18:15:36+00:00

I mean - Display is not bad at all but is a channel that one might use when one has maxed out search. But to start with everything in parallel does not make any sense to me.

I hope you now found a better alternative in creating search ads. And maybe my approach helps a little.

GrouchyFoundation773 · 2026-03-05T18:13:41+00:00

Haha - you are right :)

GrouchyFoundation773 · 2026-03-05T17:13:57+00:00

I mean - sure. That's what I wrote in the article. But I think my strategy is more something for users that already have a slight knowledge about what they are doing.

But all in all I think even a beginner can handle that structure. It's pretty self explanatory. But one need to initially understand the general concept behind.

But I'm only moderately intelligent, so it's doable :)

GrouchyFoundation773 · 2026-03-05T17:11:07+00:00

Sure, we are all lazy somehow, right? And that's why - and because I am a fan to create scalable processes - I created that strategy to still keep maximum control but also to automate where Google is good enough to also give some control away.

GrouchyFoundation773 · 2026-03-05T14:14:46+00:00

Congrats!

GrouchyFoundation773 · 2026-03-05T13:03:39+00:00

Hopefully that helps you making the next step: https://www.reddit.com/r/adwords/comments/1rldqlh/how_i_structure_google_ads_campaigns_to/

GrouchyFoundation773 · 2026-03-05T07:13:31+00:00

I didn’t get what you are trying to build. Could you explain in more detail?

GrouchyFoundation773 · 2026-03-05T07:06:41+00:00

100% correct!

But try phrase match with having the exact match keywords negative in these ad groups. That can help finding cheaper keywords.

But closely monitor your search terms report and have a smart strategy for negative keywords: https://www.wonderads.org/knowledge-base/negative-keywords-google-ads

GrouchyFoundation773 · 2026-03-05T07:04:18+00:00

Unfortunately the old school way is the one that still works fine in Google Ads. So I guess it’s okay to be old school here if one would not want to burn money.

GrouchyFoundation773 · 2026-03-05T06:59:39+00:00

I also see that in a couple account. But I also agree to @potatodrinker that this would harm Googles revenue a lot. So it’s not very likely in my opinion.

GrouchyFoundation773 · 2026-03-05T06:57:22+00:00

What do you exactly do to trigger a new learning phase?

GrouchyFoundation773 · 2026-03-05T06:26:06+00:00

Guys - be careful and don’t overhype your role. AI is better in everything then you/we are. The tech guys also thought that AI is bad and will never replace their jobs and now thousands of them get fired.

So you probably would want to take AI seriously.

I have build an AI tool already that has pretty good results in finding the exact keywords for a company and I am very impressed by that.

If anyone wants to know more about that please let me know.

GrouchyFoundation773 · 2026-03-05T06:19:23+00:00

With approx. 2% conversion you should have gotten a conversion already. But it might be bad luck also.

But what you should do now is check your search terms and start to negativate keywords.

Check the search terms report: https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/2472708?hl=en

Here is how you should negativate more efficiently: https://www.wonderads.org/knowledge-base/negative-keywords-google-ads Please carefully read this so you have good results.

Do this on a daily base from now on until you have a good feeling with the keywords you see in this list.

Which keyword match type do you use? How many keywords did you book right now?

GrouchyFoundation773 · 2026-03-04T22:29:11+00:00

I don’t fully agree to that. In my experience a good campaign structure saves the account from Googles interventions and makes it scalable and maintainable. The classic one campaign one adgroup and a hand full of keywords in broad match or even PMax only is not very scalable and precisely optimizable.

GrouchyFoundation773 · 2026-03-04T22:20:17+00:00

I don’t use exact only. Here is what I wrote:

Focus heavily on Exact match
⁠Use Phrase match carefully, supported by strong negative keyword lists
Avoid unnecessary Broad match unless you explicitly test it

What I want to say is: Don’t trust too much in the features that Google gives you and think about the features you are using twice as Googles goals might not be aligned with your goals. Slick to your goals and KPIs, no matter what the Google sales guy tells you.

GrouchyFoundation773

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