Good (if slightly overdue) news from Google Ads - marketers can now segment PMax asset groups, directly from the table view. 

While it doesn’t exactly sound like world-changing news on the face of it, this change gives marketers a much-needed layer of granularity and insight into asset performance. 

Source: Thomas Eccel 

Prior to the change, insights into asset group performance were limited to the very basics, such as impressions, clicks, CTR, and overall conversions. The new segmentation options mean marketers can finally take a deeper look at asset group performance.

Let’s unpack why this update is a big deal, and discuss how it can enhance PMax campaign management.

What is Performance Max asset group segmentation?

Google Ad accounts now have a “segment” option when viewing PMax Asset Group Performance in table view. It offers several segmentation options:

• Time: Analyze performance over various periods, which helps you track trends and seasonal shifts.
• Click Type: Understand cross-network clicks - useful for assessing how ads are being engaged with across Google’s ecosystem.
• Conversions: A favorite among performance marketers. Drill down into conversion types and timing, offering a much clearer picture of campaign effectiveness.
• Network: This currently shows “cross-network,” but it’s helpful for analyzing network reach and alignment.
• Device: Segment by device type (desktop, mobile, tablet) to see where your assets perform best.
• Top vs. Others: A ranking view of asset performance.

Being able to segment, especially by conversions and “days to conversion,” brings data-driven decision-making to PMax.

For brands with diverse customer journeys, these new segmentation options allow for better targeting strategies. They also enable marketers to apply learnings from one asset group to another, leading to more refined targeting and potentially better ROI.

Each of these segmentation options can add value to a campaign, but the “Conversions” option is where it gets especially interesting…

Conversion segmentation: A very welcome change

With conversion segmentation, you now have access to insights that were previously unavailable in PMax campaigns. Here are a few ways to make the most of this:

Analyze different conversion actions

Being able to view conversion actions separately allows you to see which types are driving the best results. This feature lets you analyze performance based on each conversion action set up in your account, giving you a refined view of how various actions contribute to your overall goals.

Use “days to conversion” to optimize timing strategies

One of the most useful additions within conversion segmentation is “days to conversion.” With this, you can measure the time it takes for users to convert after interacting with a particular asset - revealing insights about your audience’s decision-making process and buying journey. For instance: 

• Short conversion windows: If users are converting within a short period, this could signal urgency-driven products or highly persuasive ads.
• Longer conversion windows: For products with a longer sales cycle, a longer days-to-conversion period might be expected. This information can guide retargeting strategies and budget allocation across phases in the customer journey.

This feature alone helps marketers understand which assets work for immediate conversions and which are part of a longer consideration phase. This is extremely useful information when it comes to optimizing asset group performance.

Practical applications of the new PMax segmentation feature:

Here’s how you can use each new segmentation option to your advantage:

• By Time: See how performance shifts over weeks or months. You can identify seasonality trends and adjust your bidding strategy based on historical data.
• By Click Type: Understand where clicks are coming from, especially across networks. This is valuable if you’re managing multiple networks and want to identify the top performers delivering quality traffic.
• By Device: Device-based segmentation helps you see where conversions are happening. If mobile drives more clicks but fewer conversions, for example, you may need to adjust landing page experiences.
• By Network and Top vs. Others: Knowing which assets are top performers versus those with lower engagement can help in optimizing creatives and messaging. Assets that consistently fall into “Others” may need a refresh, or complete replacement.

What marketers are saying

Google Ads expert Thomas Eccel initially broke the news to many via LinkedIn:

The overwhelming positivity surrounding the change could be felt in the comments, with paid media experts from across the industry stating that asset group segmentation is a very welcome - if long overdue feature. 

Clarice Lin, Founder of the ROI Doctor, echoed the sentiment - adding that the new data will enable her to better understand customer behavior patterns and optimize accordingly: 

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Does this mean more PMax control going forward?

We certainly hope so. The lack of control and visibility in PMax campaigns has been a frequent frustration for performance marketers. This update brings a layer of insight that moves PMax slightly closer to the control and data depth that marketers are accustomed to in non-PMax Google Ads campaign types. 

Up until recently, Google’s PMax mentality was essentially “put all your money into the PMax machine learning algorithm, let it do its thing, and deal with the results - good or bad”. In many ways, it’s still very much like that (find out how to prevent PMax waste here). 

Yet asset group reporting, alongside other recent changes to PMax such as the addition of campaign-level negatives, does indicate a marked shift in attitude from Google. 

It remains to be seen whether this is a genuine shift in PMax ethos going forward, or just a carefully-conceded move from Google in an attempt to win back marketer’s trust. Either way, the addition of asset group segmentation is a definite win for marketers, no matter how you look at it. 

Taking control of PMax campaigns

Unfortunately, even with the recent long-overdue additions - namely asset group segmentation and campaign-level negatives - PMax continues to be an ad spend black hole for many. 

PMax can be an incredible tool that has the potential to generate a good ROAS and further your marketing efforts - if you know how to pull the right levers to keep costs down, and efficiency up. 

Find out how to plug the performance max drain in our free on-demand webinar, featuring Google Ads experts Lucy Smith and Thomas Eccel. 

For more information on how Lunio can protect your paid media campaigns from invalid traffic, and help you drive marketing efficiency - get a 14 day free traffic audit. 

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