For years, Performance Max (PMax) campaigns have been a powerful tool, but their lack of granular control was a common pain point for advertisers. While Google addressed this by introducing brand exclusions, the initial implementation presented a significant challenge: excluding your brand from PMax meant losing visibility in both Search and Shopping.
The Shopping Problem
This posed a major issue, particularly for branded searches. Advertisers could regain control over branded search terms through dedicated Search campaigns, but Shopping remained a blind spot. Excluding your brand meant surrendering valuable Shopping real estate to competitors.
Imagine this: a customer searches for your brand. They’re met with a prominent carousel of competitor Shopping ads, pushing your organic listings far down the page. On mobile, where the majority of traffic resides, this often translates to multiple scrolls before your brand even appears. This competitive disadvantage could lead to significant lost sales and brand erosion.
The Easy To Miss Fix
Thankfully, Google has addressed this crucial gap. A seemingly minor update, often delivered as a notification within the PMax interface, introduces a game-changing checkbox: “Keep showing shopping ads on brand searches.” Located within Campaign Settings > Additional Settings > Brand Exclusions, this simple option allows you to:
- Maintain brand exclusion for Search: Continue to refine your branded search strategy with dedicated campaigns.
- Retain visibility in Shopping: Ensure your products are still prominently displayed when customers search for your brand.
Why This Matters:
- Precise Control: Advertisers can now achieve the desired level of granularity, separating branded and non-branded traffic for accurate analysis and optimization.
- Enhanced Brand Protection: Reclaim valuable Shopping real estate and prevent competitors from dominating branded search results.
- Improved User Experience: Deliver a seamless customer journey by ensuring your products are easily discoverable.