Google is upgrading Vehicle Ads to Performance Max

Google will automatically upgrade vehicle ad campaigns to Performance Max (PMax) from September.

PMax with vehicle feeds uses Google AI to help marketers “reach their conversion goals, including qualified leads and dealership visits.”

Why we care. The upgrade will enable car advertisers to reach customers across more touchpoints in their research and shopping journey, such as YouTube, Display, Gmail and Discover.

How it works. Your campaign settings, structure, audience signals, vehicle feeds, and assets will automatically be transferred over to this new campaign to maintain consistent performance. Afterwards, you will no longer be able to create additional campaigns for vehicle ads through Smart Shopping campaigns.

For advertisers not already using vehicle ads, PMax with vehicle feeds will be available in open beta in the US and Canada, and closed beta in Australia.

Why now? Vehicle Ads, which are only available in open betas in the US and Canada, and a closed beta in Australia, are currently running on Smart Shopping campaigns. Since they were upgraded to PMax last year, Google has said it is “following suit” for this format.

What has Google said? A spokesperson for the search engine said:

• “Automotive advertisers are turning to Performance Max to unlock new Google Ads channels, reach more customers, and drive more qualified leads and visits.”
• “Performance Max unlocks new Google Ads channels and inventory for your campaign, including Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, and Gmail.”
• “Through Performance Max, you can now optimize for both online conversions (leads) and offline conversions (store visits) within a single campaign, enabling strong omnichannel bidding optimization.”
• “With the Insights page for Performance Max, you will now have access to new insights that can help inform your business and marketing strategy. These include insights about your audience and current search trends that relate to your business.”

Deep dive. Read Google’s Vehicle Ads announcement in full for more information.