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What is the point of PerformanceMax in Google Ads when 95% of the channel share is just Search?
Posted by on November 3, 2025 at 3:44 amSo since Google (finally) rolled out the breakdown of 'Channel Performance' in PerformanceMax campaigns, every single one of them in our account has basically 95% of the spend/conversions just going to Search as the main channel.
Considering we're running them alongside Search campaigns in the first place, what is supposed to be the point of PMax in general other than just being Search with a tiny handful of YouTube & Discover tacked on?
Especially when looking at the breakdown of search terms in PMax they appear to just be duplication of the same terms we're already advertising for directly in Search campaigns anyway?
Am I missing something here?
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1 Reply
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I typically see between 85-95% search with my clients – performance driven, value based bidding.
I imagine for accounts with no value based bidding e.g. maximise conversions, where you’re treating every conversion as the same value, combined with poor anti-spam forms, they’d see a larger amount of non search spend.
I visited Mountain View HQ at Google a couple of years ago and spoke with their Global Head of Search at the time and asked “is the plan to ultimately have Performance Max replace search” and he said for the majority of advertisers it is. He acknowledged that advanced advertisers will still try and squeeze out wins through search.
I think most advertisers (and a fair whack of agencies) aren’t ready to transition to a purely PMax play yet due to technical or business limitations or just stubbornness. That’s why Google introduced AI Max as a search only stepping stone and is launching other betas like journey aware bidding to help advertisers who don’t have the ability to build a value based bidding signal.
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Shopping ads
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PMax mostly spends on Search because that’s where Google sees the best conversions.
Without strong creative assets or a product feed, it barely uses YouTube or Display.
If you already run solid Search campaigns, PMax adds little value.
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I run Performance Max for some food service businesses and about 85% of the share goes towards Maps.
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if you are running the Pmax alongside Search campaigns then IDK.
you might need better assets to get more display
the Pmax has a product feed?
people are more likely to click your link if they are actually searching for the keywords. vs. doing something else and seeing the ad
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PMax is basically just automated search if you already have strong search campaigns running. It’s Google’s way of pushing everyone toward fully automated campaigns eventually. You’re not missing anything,most accounts see 80-95% of PMax spend going to search, especially when you’re already covering those terms elsewhere. Without killer creative assets or a unique product feed, it won’t branch out much. If your search campaigns are already performing well, PMax just duplicates effort. You might get more value by focusing on strengthening your creative inputs or testing PMax in isolation.
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Because that 5% on every advertiser using Pmax is how they help use up unwanted ad inventory that nobody wants to buy (display/Gmail/discovery), and embezzle money from everyone’s wasted spend in order to make shareholders happy.
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