Performance Max Campaigns: What Brisbane Businesses Should Know
You’ve heard the buzz about Performance Max. Maybe Google’s been pushing it on you with those “recommended for your account” badges. Or you’ve seen a competitor suddenly showing up everywhere — search, YouTube, Maps, even Gmail — and you’re wondering how they pulled it off.
Let me clear the air. Performance Max (PMax) is Google’s most advanced campaign type. And if you’re running a business in Brisbane, it could be your biggest growth lever or your biggest budget drain. I’ll show you which one it is.
Here’s what we’ll cover: what PMax actually does, why it matters for local and national advertisers in Queensland, and the practical setup steps that separate a winning campaign from a wasted spend.
What Is Performance Max?
PMax is Google’s AI-powered campaign type. It replaces the old approach of managing separate campaigns for Search, Shopping, Display, YouTube, Discovery, and Gmail. You give Google one budget, a set of assets (headlines, images, videos), and some audience signals. Google’s machine learning then decides where to show your ads based on where it predicts the highest conversion probability.
Sounds like magic, right? It can be. But the magic only works when you feed it the right inputs.
I’ve seen Brisbane businesses throw a few stock photos and generic headlines into PMax and wonder why their cost-per-lead blew out. Google’s algorithms are powerful, but they aren’t mind readers.
Why Brisbane Businesses Should Pay Attention
Brisbane’s market is growing fast. We’ve got a unique mix of booming construction, professional services, retail, and hospitality. Competition for online space is heating up. Performance Max lets you capture demand across every Google surface without managing a dozen campaigns.
But here’s the catch: PMax works best when you have strong creative assets. That’s where many local businesses slip up. They treat PMax like an automated set-and-forget tool. It’s not.
I’ve seen campaigns where a Brisbane agency (like us at Salt Agency) paired high-quality video content with strategic audience signals and doubled conversion rates in three weeks. That’s because PMax rewards engagement signals. If your video stops a scroller in their tracks, Google knows it.
We’ve written more about how video marketing delivers results for Australian businesses in a dedicated post — it’s worth the read if you’re investing in PMax.
How to Set Up Performance Max for Success
Let’s get practical. Here are the three things I see making the biggest difference for Brisbane clients.
1. Feed Google high-quality assets
PMax needs at least one video, multiple headlines (up to 15), long headlines, descriptions, images (square and landscape), and a logo. Don’t skimp. Every added asset gives Google more data to match user intent. A single low-res image can tank your relevance score.
2. Use audience signals wisely
Audience signals are not audience targeting. You’re telling Google who to find similar users to. Use your first-party data — customer lists, website visitors, past converters. If you don’t have a solid list yet, start building it now.
3. Separate campaigns by goal
Don’t put lead generation and online sales in the same PMax campaign. Google optimises for the primary conversion action you select. If that’s “purchase”, it will ignore leads. Split them out.
I’ve also seen businesses benefit from pairing PMax with search campaigns. PMax covers the top-of-funnel and cross-channel reach. Standard Search picks up the exact-intent queries. They work together.
For a deeper dive into how SEO and Google Ads complement each other, check out our comparison here.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Mistake #1: No negative keyword control
PMax doesn’t let you add negative keywords at the campaign level. You have to use brand exclusions via your Google Merchant Center or account-level negative keywords. If you don’t, PMax might serve your ad for terms that waste budget — like “cheap” when you’re a premium service.
Mistake #2: Ignoring asset performance data
Google reports asset performance as “Best”, “Good”, “Low”, or “Learning”. Replace anything rated “Low” immediately. And don’t wait weeks. The algorithm learns faster when you refresh poor performers.
Mistake #3: Expecting instant results
PMax has a two-week learning phase. Don’t panic if costs spike early. Let it stabilise. But if after three weeks your CPA is still double your target, reassess your audience signals and creative.
FAQ
Is Performance Max suitable for small businesses in Brisbane?
Yes. But only if you have a clear conversion goal and enough data for Google’s algorithms to learn. If you’re just starting out with fewer than 30 conversions in the past 30 days, consider starting with a Search campaign and collecting data first.
Do I need a Google Merchant Center feed for PMax?
You only need a feed if you’re selling physical products. For lead gen or service businesses, you don’t. You just upload creative assets.
Can I control where my PMax ads show?
No. Google decides placements automatically. But you can exclude certain content categories (like sensitive topics) and use brand safety controls.
How does PMax compare to Google Ads (Search)?
Search is intent-based — people actively looking. PMax is opportunity-based — people who might be interested but haven’t searched yet. They work best together. We’ve covered this in detail on our blog.
Does PMax work with landing pages built in Squarespace or Wix?
Yes, but page speed matters. Google’s algorithms prioritise quick-loading pages. If your site takes more than three seconds to load on mobile, fix that first.
References
- Google Ads Help: About Performance Max campaigns
- Salt Agency blog: What is PPC and How Does Pay-Per-Click Work?
- Salt Agency blog: SEO vs Google Ads – Which Should You Invest In?
- Salt Agency blog: Why Video Marketing Works for Australian Businesses
Your Next Move
Performance Max isn’t a silver bullet. But for Brisbane businesses ready to invest in solid creative and smart audience strategy, it’s the closest thing to an all-in-one advertising engine Google has ever built.
Start with one clear campaign goal. Pull together your best images and a short video. Set up conversion tracking properly. Then let it run for two weeks before making big changes.
And if you want a team that’s already done this for dozens of local businesses — in-house across strategy, creative, and paid media — reach out. We’ll show you what PMax can really do.