Blastoff Labs

Configure PMax Asset Groups

Asset Groups in PMax are containers populated with images, video, ad copy, and targeting information. This facilitates advertising SKUs on a product feed on advertising channels other than Shopping. Each Asset Group is attached to a Listing Group - a collection of SKUs from a product feed.

Listing Groups in PMax are similar to Product Groups in Shopping. They consist of a sub-group of products from a product feed. A listing group could contain an entire feed, but in most campaigns, it will be a subset or category of products.

The first objective when setting up Asset Groups is to populate them with assets representing the cross-section products in an underlying listing group. Along with good ad copy in a range of formats.

PMax Product Feed Optimization

In eCommerce Shopping campaigns, the quality of product feed optimization is critical to success. It's an underlying foundation upon which everything else in a Shopping campaign will depend.

Without a well-optimized feed the campaign will never reach its potential. Shopping campaigns with weak feeds in competitive markets will reliably fail.

We’ve since tested in practice a number of methods of creating, improving, and optimizing shopping feed performance. The workflows, creative methods, and feed engineering practices we currently use are discussed in more detail in other articles.

PMax Campaign Optimization & Monitoring

Once a PMax campaign is launched, we watch its performance closely. We monitor serving momentum, PPC metrics, and audiences to optimize the campaign.

This optimization leads to the transition of the campaign from manual bidding to automated bidding. From then, we continue to manage the campaign from disapprovals to other critical issues that may arise.

PMax campaign optimization is different from other types of paid search campaigns. It's more automated and more data is hidden from the advertiser. Some refer to it as "a black box". So reporting beyond the basic metrics can be a challenge.

PMax Campaign Launch

During the period immediately after a shopping campaign launch, we're monitoring impressions and CPC's. We're also on the lookout for major issues such as a single product group consuming excessive ad spend.

Conversion tracking is checked for functionality and accuracy. Geo-targeting is monitored for any anomalies, CPC’s are checked for any out of line behavior, and the campaign is scanned for errors or warnings.

This post-launch optimization phase typically lasts 3 to 6 weeks for an average scale shopping ad campaign. A Shopping campaign enters semi-automated "orbit" once it has transitioned onto automated bidding

Target PMax Asset Groups

PMax campaign structure is defined within the campaign on two types of "Groups". Both types of groups are just software objects, or containers that aggregate other objects within a PMax campaign.

PMax Listing Groups: Provide a mechanism to group together similar products within the feed. You can create product groups using various attributes present in the feed. Typically this is used to bid similar products and product variants at the Product Group level.

PMax Asset Groups: Listing Groups are subgroups of similar product SKU's within the product feed. In small campaigns, a listing group could contain all SKUs in the campaign, but usually, it is a subset, and multiple Asset Groups are present.

In PMax the campaign targeting criteria are treated as "suggestions". The suggestions do have an influence, but the automation built into PMax is the ultimate arbiter of where the ads show up. Targeting is automated to deliver ads across all channels available to the platform.

Fault Monitoring?

PPC Campaigns need fault monitoring because they can run into a wide range of fault conditions. For example, the credit card on file to pay ad spend may expire. Or a platform's bot may flag an ad and disable it. The PPC platform may declare that your ad copy infringes upon a Trademarked word like "time" (yes, this happens!).

Is It Possible To Sell A PPC Account?

First, a ppc campaign cannot be sold as a self-contained asset because it is intellectual property that runs on a ppc platform owned by the platform provider. Ownership of the account is subject to the overarching terms and restrictions you agree to under the platform provider’s terms of service.

Carousel Slide Shows Are Website Conversion Killers

On many sites today you find an animated element on the site that rotates the display of content, images, or blog posts, This is commonly known as a “carousel”. Usually, these images rotate on a loop at various speeds. Carousels gained popularity in 2016 and were a runaway hit with web developers for several years. From a design perspective, carousels do add an attractive element, carousels often have a negative effect on the marketing performance. Extensive web marketing research has revealed that instead of enticing user response, carousels actually detract from the marketing performance of websites.

Does SEO Impact PPC?

While SEO and PPC are separate channels, they are closely related. PPC platforms evaluate landing page relevance—using spiders much like search engines—to help determine Quality Scores. Well-optimized pages with strong SEO often see better PPC performance. However, the connection is indirect.

Exposed Email Addresses Are PPC Killers

While the intent may be good, this is a bad practice. Text email addresses that are exposed to the open internet on a web page are harvested by bots, who may then use them for nefarious purposes like email address spoofing. Bad actors can imitate (phish) your "exposed" email address. It's the email equivalent of leaving your keys in the car for convenience.

About Blastoff Labs

Configure PMax Asset Groups

PMax Product Feed Optimization

PMax Campaign Optimization & Monitoring

PMax Campaign Launch

Target PMax Asset Groups

Fault Monitoring?

Is It Possible To Sell A PPC Account?

Carousel Slide Shows Are Website Conversion Killers

Does SEO Impact PPC?

Exposed Email Addresses Are PPC Killers

Our attention to detail guarantees that every aspect of your campaign is optimized for success. Experience the difference that our tailored approach can make for your advertising efforts.

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