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Overview

Google’s audience signals field in Performance Max provides its algorithm with targeting guidance. By default, PMax optimizes broadly across all users. Innkeepr Seed Signals narrow that guidance using incremental prediction models — they identify users who are more likely to convert because of an ad, rather than users who would convert regardless. This guide walks you through setting up a test-vs-control campaign structure with Innkeepr Seed Signals. After completing all steps, you will have two comparable PMax campaigns running: one with Innkeepr Seed Signals applied and one without, which lets you measure the difference.

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Prerequisites

Technical requirements:
  • An active connection to your Google Ads account
  • Sufficient data history for signal generation (30 days minimum recommended)
Timeline at a glance:
Do not evaluate performance before the 60-day mark. PMax needs time to collect data, optimize bid strategies, and stabilize across inventory types. Early results are unreliable.

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How Seed Signals Work

A Seed Signal provides Google with a reference group of users. Google then finds additional users with similar characteristics to target. Innkeepr builds Seed Signals from users with high predicted incremental conversion probability, so the lookalike expansion is based on incrementality rather than general conversion likelihood. Before configuring your Seed Signals, it helps to understand what each parameter controls:

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Setup Instructions

Step 1: Design Your Campaign Structure Why a campaign split and not an asset group split? As of February 2026, Google does not provide access to click-based performance data at the asset group level through the API. Only campaign-level data includes full-funnel metrics (clicks, CTR, CPC, conversions, ROAS). Testing in separate campaigns is the only way to compare performance accurately. Budget allocation:
Why not 50/50? A smaller test budget reduces risk during the learning phase while still generating enough conversion volume for comparison. Increase the test share once you have enough data to evaluate results.
Step 2: Choose Your Signal Configurations Start with one configuration per test campaign. Because click-based metrics are not available at the asset group level (see Step 1), running several configurations side by side inside one test campaign cannot be evaluated reliably — each configuration you want to compare needs its own campaign. Recommended starting configurations:
Not sure which configuration fits your use case? Contact our team — we can help determine the right parameters based on your conversion data and product categories.
Step 3: Create and Apply Seed Signals in Innkeepr
  1. Create the signal in Innkeepr based on your selected configuration
  2. Select “Google Analytics” as the connection — the signal is synced via GA4 and then becomes available in your linked Google Ads account
  3. Set the signal type to Seed
  4. Configure the parameters — set the lookback window, percentile threshold, and conversion lag according to your chosen configuration
  5. Link the signal to the asset groups in your test campaign in Google Ads
Step 4: Configure Audience Signals in Google Ads In the Audience signals field on your asset groups, include only the following: Keep:
  • Innkeepr Seed Signals — your primary targeting guidance
  • Search terms — custom search themes that are relevant to your products
Remove:
  • Demographics (age, gender, household income, parental status) — these restrict the signal unnecessarily and overlap with what Google already optimizes for
  • Interests and detailed demographics (in-market and affinity segments) — these dilute the Innkeepr signal with broad Google segments
  • Other first-party user lists (CRM uploads, website visitors, customer match lists) — mixing other sources with Innkeepr Seed Signals makes it impossible to attribute performance to a specific signal source
The goal is to isolate the Innkeepr Seed Signal as the primary targeting guidance. Additional inputs introduce noise and make it difficult to measure the effect of the signal. Step 5: Configure Campaign Settings Ensure parity between the test and control campaigns:
  • Identical target ROAS (tROAS) across both campaigns — a mismatched tROAS invalidates the comparison (see Best Practices below)
  • Proportional daily budgets — 20–30% for the test campaign, 70–80% for the control campaign
  • Identical asset groups in both campaigns, except for the Seed Signal in the test campaign
  • Identical inventory types enabled across both campaigns (Search, Display, Shopping, Video, Discover)
Step 6: Pre-Launch Checklist Before activating your campaigns, verify that:
  • The test and control campaigns have identical tROAS values
  • The budget split is 20–30% test / 70–80% control
  • Seed Signals are applied only to the test campaign’s asset groups
  • Asset groups (products, creatives, ad copy) are identical across both campaigns
  • Inventory types match across both campaigns
  • Conversion tracking is verified and capturing all relevant conversions
  • The Innkeepr signal size is sufficiently large (check in the Innkeepr dashboard)

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Monitor & Optimize

Weeks 1–4: Learning phase (hands off)
  • Do not adjust tROAS, budgets, or signals during the initial learning phase
  • Review the PMax placement report weekly to understand spend distribution
  • Expect inventory shifts — campaigns with Seed Signals may allocate more spend to Display and Video early on. This is expected behavior.
Weeks 4–8: Stabilization phase (monitor, no conclusions)
  • Check ROAS, CPA, and conversion volume at the campaign level (test vs. control), but treat the numbers as directional only — the campaign is still learning
  • If performance is significantly off target, make small adjustments (a 10–20% tROAS change) — but always adjust tROAS on both the test and the control campaign equally, otherwise the campaign with the higher tROAS will lose spend
  • Allow 7–14 days after any adjustment before re-evaluating
Weeks 8–12: Evaluation phase
  • Compare ROAS, CPA, and conversion volume between the test and control campaign
  • Aim for 50 or more conversions per campaign before drawing conclusions
  • If the test campaign outperforms the control campaign, increase its budget share and allow one to two weeks for the campaigns to stabilize

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Best Practices

Target ROAS alignment Set identical tROAS values across the test and control campaigns. Google Ads gives more bidding flexibility to campaigns with a lower tROAS, which skews results and makes it difficult to isolate the effect of the Seed Signal. If you need to adjust tROAS, always adjust both campaigns equally — otherwise the campaign with the higher tROAS will receive less spend.
  • Use your standard tROAS as the baseline for both campaigns
  • Only adjust tROAS if both campaigns deviate from target, and always by the same margin
  • Align the tROAS value itself with your business objectives and historical performance
Signal isolation The test is only valid if the Seed Signal is the single difference between the two campaigns. Do not add other audience signal inputs, change creatives in only one campaign, or enable different inventory types mid-test.

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Troubleshooting

ROAS below target after 60 or more days Spend concentrated in Display and Video This is common in the first 30–45 days. Before making changes, review actual ROAS — Display and Video placements may be converting efficiently despite the inventory shift. If ROAS is genuinely below target, increase tROAS, temporarily reduce the budget, and wait 7–14 days for PMax to rebalance. Campaign still in the learning phase after 60 or more days Low conversion volume in the test campaign
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