Google is abandoning its Smart Campaigns offering and integrating its features into Performance Max campaigns.
Why we care. The change impacts advertisers using Google’s streamlined campaign management tool and signals a broader shift toward AI-powered, cross-platform advertising solutions.
The big picture. Performance Max represents Google’s next-generation approach to digital advertising, leveraging AI and machine learning to optimize ad performance across multiple platforms.
Main features of Performance Max:
- Wider reach in the Google ecosystem (Search, YouTube, Display, etc.)
- AI-driven optimization
- Personalized results based on specific business objectives
What’s happening. Google will automatically upgrade existing Smart campaigns to Performance Max campaigns.
- Although no deadline has been set, advertisers will have to adapt to the new system
- Transition aims to streamline Google’s ad products and improve performance with AI
What they say. In a letter to advertisers, Google said: “This upgrade will generate even higher ROI for advertisers to leverage Google AI and optimize their business objective. »
“Some customers will still have access to Smart Campaigns, but we continue to customize the campaign types available to others based on their specific needs.” according to a Google spokesperson.
Seen for the first time. We first came across this update from Adriaan Dekker’s LinkedIn, showing the letter one of his followers received from Google. :
What’s next. Google plans to provide more information on the transition in the coming months.
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About the author
Anu Adegbola was Paid Media Editor of Search Engine Land since 2024. It covers paid search, paid social, retail media, video and more.
In 2008, Anu’s career began with
lead digital marketing campaigns (primarily, but not exclusively, paid search) by strategizing, maximizing ROI, automating repetitive processes, and improving the efficiency of every part of marketing departments through leadership inspiring on the agency side as well as on the client and marketing technology side.
Outside of Search Engine Land article editing, she is the founder of the PPC networking event – PPC Live and the host of weekly PPCChat Roundup podcast.
She is also an international speaker with some of the stages she has presented on SMX (USA), SMX (Munich), Friends of Search (Amsterdam), BrightonSEO, The Marketing Meetup, HeroConf (PPC Hero), SearchLove, BiddableWorld, SESLondon. , PPC Chat Live, AdWorld Experience (Bologna) and more.