INSIGHT
Why I always check tracking first in Performance Max
When Performance Max loses momentum, Armin Memić starts with conversion goals, Primary actions and conversion values before changing structure or bidding.
When a Performance Max campaign suddenly performs worse, I almost always start with tracking. The campaign can only optimise using the signals Google receives.
It sounds obvious, but in practice it is easy to start with campaign structure instead: changing tROAS, building new asset groups, replacing creative or adjusting budget. If the conversion signal is wrong, those changes matter less.
When Shopify sees sales but Google Ads does not
I audited a business where Performance Max initially worked well, then deteriorated and eventually spent very little.
At the same time, the client could see that sales still looked good in Shopify.
Reviewing the account, I found that the conversion action used for optimisation was incorrectly configured and could not fire properly in practice.
Shopify saw the sales. Google did not.
To Google Ads, the campaign was failing its assigned goal. This illustrates why a reported PMax decline is not automatically a problem with bidding, budget or creative assets.
How goals, Primary actions and Smart Bidding connect
Google Ads groups conversion actions under conversion goals. A Primary action is normally used for bidding and shown in Conversions when the relevant goal is used for optimisation. A Secondary action is normally for observation, appearing in All conversions without being used for bidding.
There are important exceptions. Conversion actions in a custom goal are used for reporting and bidding even if otherwise marked Secondary. Looking at one action alone is therefore insufficient. I want to examine the campaign’s goals, action optimisation and what it actually uses together. Google’s documentation on conversion actions
Smart Bidding optimises towards the conversions made available for bidding by the campaign’s selected goals. Google describes Maximise Conversions, Target CPA, Maximise Conversion Value and Target ROAS as strategies where changes to conversion goals or values can affect bidding and require the model to adapt. Google’s guidance on changing goals for Smart Bidding
This does not mean every weak period is caused by tracking. It means I want to rule it out before treating a measurement problem as a campaign problem.
My troubleshooting order
- Which conversion goals does the campaign use?
- Which conversion actions are Primary?
- Do they fire when they should?
- Is the correct conversion value received?
- Is anything recorded twice?
- Is this what the business wants to optimise towards?
The last point matters. Tracking can be technically correct while measuring the wrong business goal.
A lead generation business might record several forms as the same conversion type, even though a quote request is much more valuable than a simple contact form or another action. Google then receives a signal recorded correctly but too broadly defined for the business.
Google can only optimise using the signal we send. I therefore want to know whether the value and priority reflect what the client wants more of.
My working principle: measurement before structure
I do not normally start by:
- changing tROAS
- building new asset groups
- replacing creative
- changing search themes
- increasing or decreasing budget
My usual order is:
measurement → goals → structure → signals → creative → budget and bidding
That is my working principle, rather than an official Google sequence. The point is to check that Google is at least playing the same game as the business before optimising the game.
For a broader explanation of how tracking fits into Performance Max work, read Performance Max: my approach to tracking, structure and profitability.