Unlock new relevant traffic on Performance Max with search themes
Granular analysis and first look
On October 26, 2023, Google introduced “search themes” in Performance Max, allowing advertisers to guide Google AI to serve ads on placements they may not reach yet. This feature helps fill gaps in ad coverage by leveraging business-specific knowledge to enhance campaign reach across all Google Ads channels.
Photo Credit: Google
Why this matters?
- Enhances reach by aligning AI with business expertise.
- Fills gaps in targeting, especially for new offerings or markets.
- Streamlines campaign optimization and performance.
Next Steps/Action Items
- Utilize search themes to expand reach across all Google Ads inventory.
- Optimize assets to complement selected search themes.
- Stay updated on upcoming improvements in search term insights and guidance.
Helpful links for this Google update
Learn more about past Google updates
- May 2025 - May 2025 Google Ads Update – Strengthen First-Party Data with Google Tag Gateway
- Apr 2025 - April 2025 Google Ads Update – Checkout on Merchant Now Live in Demand Gen Campaigns
- Apr 2025 - April 2025 Google Ads Update – Improving Search Ads Relevance Lower Down the Page
- Apr 2025 - April 2025 Google Ads Update – Performance Max Gets New Goals, Image Controls & Negative Keyword Limits
- Feb 2025 - February 2025 Google Ads Update – Boosting Search Ad Performance with AI-Driven Asset Flexibility
- Feb 2025 - February 2025 Google Ads Update – Urgent: Offline Conversion Import (OCI) Action Needed for Apps
- Jan 2025 - January 2025 Google Ads Update – Google Brings Back Tag Assistant: What It Means for Digital Marketers
- Oct 2024 - October 2024 Google Ads Update – New Performance Max features
- Oct 2024 - October 2024 Google Ads Update – Simplified Video Experiments
- Sep 2024 - September 2024 Google Ad Update – First Position Now available across YouTube in Display & Video 360
- Sep 2024 - September 2024 Google Ad Update – YouTube Studio offers new website visits goal
- Aug 2024 - August 2024 Google Ad Update – New First-Party Data Tools
- Aug 2024 - August 2024 Google Ad Update – New AI Acquisition goals, creative tools & more
- Aug 2024 - Fewer ad breaks and more user engagement on YouTube-connected TVs
- Jul 2024 - Four tips to maximize sales this back-to-school season
- Jul 2024 - Results from Google’s display ads experiment with the Privacy Sandbox APIs
- Jun 2024 - Maximize performance on Search with updates to query matching
- Jun 2024 - Introducing Cross Media Reach
- Jun 2024 - Introducing Brand Recommendations in Google Ads
- May 2024 - Completing the Transition to a New Google Ads Design
- May 2024 - Google Marketing Live 2024: Key Updates and The Impact on Marketers
- May 2024 - Google I/O 2024: Making AI Helpful for Everyone