Learn how Performance Max can support your PPC ad campaigns

Maybe you’ve heard of pay-per-click (PPC) ads. You might even be using them right now as part of your marketing strategy. However, traditional PPC ads aren’t the only type of ad campaign you can run. Performance Max is another tool that harnesses the power of AI to help you grow your business.

If you have questions about this new type of ad campaign, Catalyst Healthcare Marketing can help. Here, we explain what PMax is, its benefits, and how it can work with traditional PPC ads to support your marketing goals.

What is Performance Max?

Also known as PMax, Performance Max is a goal-based ad campaign type that you can find in Google Ads. It uses AI to help your ads reach more people and connect with them earlier.

Using AI isn’t the only thing that makes PMax unique. It also stands out because it allows your ads to appear on any Google platform. This means your targeted ads can show up on the following Google networks.

• Google Search
• YouTube
• Google Display
• Google Discover
• Gmail
• Google Maps

You might worry about exceeding your ad budget by appearing on so many platforms. However, Google AI manages your bids and audience targeting in real time to achieve your specific goals.

How does PMax work with traditional PPC ads?

Traditional PPC ad campaigns capture people who are looking for a specific keyword. They are ready to find you and book an appointment today. However, the problem with these campaigns is that they can miss people who aren’t actively searching yet.

In contrast, Performance Max campaigns use Google’s AI to find and engage with people who are the most likely to become your patients or customers. These campaigns reach them regardless of whether they are searching for your services.

Here are some key differences between the two types of campaigns.

• Traditional campaigns can only target search intent, but PMax can go further with AI-powered targeting.
• While traditional PPC ads require manual management, PMax can target relevant keywords with automated bidding and ad placement.
• With traditional PPC ads, they only appear on Google Search results. However, PMax shows ads across all Google platforms, ranging from Google Search to YouTube.

Ultimately, traditional PPC ads still have value because they help capture the people who are ready to find and choose you today. Performance Max isn’t a replacement. It’s an opportunity to find more potential patients that PPC ads might be missing.

When does it make sense to add PMax to your marketing efforts?

It’s important to think about whether Performance Max will be a good addition to your current marketing efforts. You might want to think about adding PMax if your business is performing well on search and you want to explore another way to reach potential patients or customers.

Specifically, it can make sense to test PMax if:

• Your existing PPC campaigns have enough conversion data to review.
• There is high conversion volume. This refers to the number of desired actions (like scheduling an appointment) that occur per advertising campaign.
• Your business has excellent conversion growth and phone lead growth.
• Your ad cost per click (CPC) is improving.

However, it may not make sense to pivot to focus on PMax if your current efforts are already producing strong results or you have marketing budget constraints.

Find out if adding Performance Max makes sense for your practice

Catalyst’s digital marketing specialists are already helping our clients run PMax alongside traditional search campaigns to unlock new growth opportunities, without sacrificing what’s already working. We’re also closely tracking performance to maximize results.

While Performance Max isn’t right for every practice, it can be a valuable option in the right situations. If you’d like to learn whether PMax can help support your marketing efforts, the Catalyst team is here to help.

Contact us today to schedule a time to discuss your practice’s marketing needs and how PMax might support them.