April 2025 Google Ads Update – Performance Max Gets New Goals, Image Controls & Negative Keyword Limits

Granular analysis and first look

Performance Max continues to evolve as a powerful tool for advertisers looking to maximize results across Google’s inventory. With new goals to support customer retention, automated image enhancements, and 10x the limit for campaign-level negative keywords, this April 2025 update introduces tools that give marketers more control and clarity. If you manage full-funnel strategies or leverage Granular’s Google Ads management services, these changes may significantly impact how you approach campaign optimization.

Expanded Customer Lifecycle Goals: Acquire Smarter, Retain Better

Performance Max is no longer just about customer acquisition. Google is doubling down on lifecycle marketing:

• Retention Goals Now Available: Originally in beta, this feature lets advertisers bid more aggressively for lapsed customers, ideal for brands prioritizing lifetime value (LTV).
• LTV Segmentation: You can now tag high-value lapsed customers, allowing the system to prioritize spend based on true revenue potential.
• Customer Acquisition Cost Reporting: A new reporting column tracks CAC, whether you’re using new customer only or new customer value bidding modes.

Strategic Impact:

Advertisers with long purchase cycles or recurring-revenue models can now more effectively balance acquisition and reactivation strategies, particularly useful in subscription-based or seasonal industries.

Visual Asset Variety: Landing Page Images & Enhancements

Asset diversity is essential in Performance Max, and Google is rolling out two image-related tools:

1. Landing Page Image Control: Opt into this feature to allow Performance Max to pull high-quality images from your landing pages automatically. You’ll be able to review, approve, or remove them as needed.
2. Image Enhancements: Performance Max can now auto-generate alternate image versions through cropping. Google hints at future features like uncropping and animating to further diversify creatives.

Image enhancements will automatically crop your images for you, letting you unlock additional inventory and performance opportunities. Photo credit: Google

Strategic Impact:

Advertisers can unlock more eligible placements by expanding visual inventory with minimal effort, especially important in image-heavy networks like Discover and YouTube.

Negative Keyword Limit Raised to 10,000 Per Campaign

Google has officially addressed a long-standing request. Advertisers can now add up to 10,000 campaign-level negative keywords in Performance Max campaigns up from just 100.

Strategic Impact:

This update provides massive new control over search traffic quality. It’s a win for brands aiming to limit spend on irrelevant queries while maintaining scale across channels.

Key Takeaways

• Retention goals are now live, allowing you to re-engage lapsed customers more effectively.
• New CAC reporting helps assess acquisition strategies tied to LTV.
• Landing page image imports increase asset variety with minimal lift.
• Image enhancements unlock new inventory with smart cropping.
• Negative keyword cap increased to 10,000, giving search control back to advertisers.

Performance Max is gaining maturity, and with this update, it’s clear Google wants advertisers to have greater transparency and control without sacrificing AI-powered efficiency. Whether you’re scaling eCommerce or lead gen campaigns, these features provide new levers to drive meaningful outcomes. At Granular, we’re already integrating these tools into our clients’ strategies, so be sure to connect with Granular’s PPC experts to fully leverage these new features.