Google’s adding some new generative AI elements to its automated “Performance Max” ad campaigns, with its Gemini LLM to power a new process that will enable headline and copy generation within the Performance Max process.
Performance Max campaigns utilize Google AI to create ads for you, in multiple formats, which can then be automatically served across Google channels and inventory, including Google Maps, Search, and YouTube. The Performance Max process is able to put together all of your campaign elements, including copy and images, in each format, effectively automating the whole process for you.
And now, you’ll also have Google’s advanced Gemini tools available within the process to help further customize and develop ad concepts.
So it’s fully automated Google campaigns that can get your promotions across every Google surface, without you having to create each yourself.
Which could be good; Google says that that advertisers who use Performance Max achieve 18% more conversions, on average, at a similar cost per action.
But then again, it also comes with a level of risk, and counterintuitive logic, in fully entrusting your ad process to the robots.
That’s a key hurdle for AI systems to overcome, in that many will find it hard to let go of the reigns, and allow these systems to take over large chunks of their campaign creation process.
And there could be good reason for this. More automated campaigns means more of the same type of content on the web, which will lose resonance over time. Ideally, Google’s system will iterate in time with this, and will continue to provide AI outputs based on the best-performing ad types as they evolve, but there is also an inherent risk that more AI-generated content will lead to lower quality AI outputs over time, as the system tries to learn from other generated ads and images.
But there could also be value there, and with the process being simplified and streamlined, it may be worth experimenting with the Performance Max process to see what kinds of results you can get.
In addition to this, Google also says that it’ll soon update the Performance Max image generation tools with its Imagen 2 data set, which will enable better visual creation in the process.
