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Prerequisites: Check Your Data Connections

Before implementing Audience Signals in Performance Max, ensure your data sources are properly connected. This setup assumes both GA4 and Google Ads are already linked and configured to share audiences:
  • Your GA4 audiences are available in the Google Ads Audience Manager
  • User identity mapping is functioning reliably (audience sizes are > 0)
  • Data flows seamlessly between platforms
Once these connections are verified, you’re ready to activate your signals in Performance Max.

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Performance Max Campaign Structure

When introducing new audience signals into Performance Max, we recommend a testing phase of 30 to 60 days. This timeframe allows campaigns sufficient time to learn and adapt to the new signals before drawing performance conclusions.

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Budget Allocation

Start with a conservative approach to minimize risk while gathering meaningful data:
  • Test campaign: 20-30% of your control campaign budget
  • Control campaign: 70-80% of total budget
This allocation provides adequate data for testing while protecting most of your spend if performance doesn’t meet expectations initially.

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Signal Configuration

The number of audience signals depends on your monthly advertising spend:
  • Monthly spend > 40K: Use 3 audience signals for comprehensive testing
  • Monthly spend < 40K: Use 2 audience signals to maintain statistical significance

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Pre-Launch Configuration

Before launching your campaigns, ensure proper tracking infrastructure:
  1. Campaign ID Tracking: Configure your Google Ads source to capture campaign IDs for each Performance Max campaign
  2. Dynamic Tagging: Tag each campaign with dynamic campaign IDs using UTM parameters or tracking templates
  3. Attribution Setup: This tracking is essential for mapping traffic and conversions back to the correct Innkeepr audience signal
Without proper campaign ID tracking, the feedback loop between performance data and signal optimization becomes unreliable, limiting downstream model improvements.

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Testing Structure: Split Campaigns vs. Asset Groups

A critical decision involves choosing between testing audience signals via asset groups within a single campaign or through separate campaigns. Recommendation: Use separate campaigns Testing audience signals through asset groups within a single Performance Max campaign is not effective. Google Ads doesn’t provide click-based performance reporting at the asset group level via the Ads API, making it impossible to measure which asset groups are driving performance. This limitation restricts attribution and measurement providers’ ability to reliably associate performance with specific asset groups. Separate campaigns ensure clean reporting and better attribution accuracy, allowing you to properly evaluate the impact of your audience signals.

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Implementation Best Practices

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Multiple Audience Signals Strategy

Structure your campaign with two or three different asset groups targeting the same products. Google’s algorithm leverages signals differently across the Google network, allowing each asset group to surface ads in optimal placements based on audience characteristics:
  • Warm audiences (product viewers): Often perform best on Shopping and Search inventory
  • Cold audiences (blog traffic): May be better suited for Display or YouTube placements
Splitting asset groups by signal enables Performance Max to explore these channels independently while providing insights into budget performance across placements.

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Target ROAS (tROAS) Alignment

When testing with campaign-level splits, align tROAS settings across test and control campaigns. Google Ads favors campaigns with lower tROAS settings due to increased bidding flexibility, potentially skewing impression and budget distribution. Best Practice: Set identical tROAS values across both campaigns to ensure performance differences stem from audience signals, not bid strategy variations. The actual tROAS value should align with your business objectives.

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Monitor Inventory Allocation

Performance Max campaigns dynamically allocate spend across Google’s inventory based on recent performance data. Your campaigns may shift impressions between Shopping, Search, Display, and Video depending on current results. This dynamic allocation can cause short-term performance volatility, especially when introducing new signals or scaling budgets. In Innkeepr-powered scenarios, Performance Max may begin spending on Display or Video inventory earlier and more aggressively than traditional campaigns, as signals often meet conversion goals faster. If you notice ROAS drops or shifts toward less profitable placements:
  1. Increase target ROAS to push Performance Max toward higher-quality inventory
  2. Temporarily reduce daily budget to slow optimization pace
  3. Monitor the Performance Max placement report to understand spend distribution
These adjustments help rebalance campaigns toward profitable channels while maintaining stability.