Microsoft Advertising Performance Max: Setup, Google Import and Optimization

Importing Performance Max from Google Ads into Microsoft: what changes?

When a Google Performance Max campaign is imported into Microsoft Advertising, asset groups, text and images come across, but Google's learning does not. On Microsoft the campaign learns from scratch, with far fewer searches. So we don't launch an imported campaign at the budget ratio used on Google, but close to Microsoft's own recommendation: up to two to three times the budget of the account's former standalone campaigns, because Performance Max spends across several inventories and formats. Shared budgets aren't supported either, so for accounts that use them on Google, we rewrite the allocation.

Bidding: when to add target ROAS or target CPA

Microsoft offers two strategies: Maximize conversions with an optional target CPA, and Maximize conversion value with an optional target ROAS. Microsoft's own recommendation is to add target ROAS only after at least 30 conversions in the last 30 days, and to wait two weeks after every target change. Keeping the target loose in the first weeks and tightening it step by step once learning is complete is based on this recommendation.

Performance Max campaigns showing product ads are expected to receive impressions within the first three days, and others within four days. If there are still no impressions after that, the problem is usually the budget, feed approval or the UET goal. We check these three before touching the bid. According to Microsoft, the learning period lasts two to four weeks or two to three conversion cycles. In sectors where purchase decisions take weeks, this period naturally gets longer.

Search themes, audience signals and exclusions

We can add up to 50 search themes per campaign. Search themes don't limit reach; they work as signals that shorten learning, and users don't see them in the ad. Remarketing lists, custom audiences and customer match lists are the strongest starting signals. Because one audience group can be attached to each asset group, we split asset groups by market, campaign period or target audience.

• Age, gender, device and audience exclusions can be applied at the campaign level, but bid adjustments can't.
• There's an option to turn off final URL expansion; we turn it off if some pages have outdated prices or stock.
• We use webpage exclusions to stop traffic from being sent to specific URLs.
• In retail campaigns, we select products with listing groups; Performance Max has no product scope criterion.
• The feed must be submitted with current data at least every 30 days; we prefer daily updates.

Reading Microsoft Performance Max reports

It's normal to see many rows with impressions but no clicks in the website URL and search term reports. Microsoft also advises against excluding sites on little data and recommends making decisions based on campaign-level conversions and ROAS. Our rule is to exclude a publisher only once enough spend has built up and it's clear it isn't bringing conversions. We read the campaign's true contribution in GA4 and Data Studio reports alongside the Google side. On the search side, we keep the most profitable keywords separately in Microsoft Search Campaigns, and apply the same setup on the Google Performance Max side.

Performance Max: when do we recommend it?

How we manage Performance Max

1. Availability checkWe confirm that Performance Max is available in your account and target market.
2. UET and revenue valueWe set up goals that pass variable revenue for the conversion value strategy.
3. Import or build from scratchWe move the Google campaign over and reset the budget to fit Microsoft's volume.
4. Signal layerWe attach search themes, customer match and remarketing audiences to asset groups.
5. Learning protectionFor the first two to four weeks, we don't change the target; we only fix approval and feed errors.
6. Target tighteningOnce 30 conversions in 30 days is passed, we add target ROAS and adjust it at two-week intervals.

Performance Max: metrics and requirements

The Brand Move Microsoft Advertising Team

To learn more about Performance Max or other Microsoft Advertising ad formats, contact The Brand Move Microsoft Advertising team today.

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