Google Ads Search vs Performance Max: Which Should You Use?

The choice is often presented as old versus new. It is better understood as control versus reach, and as stated intent versus inferred intent.

What Search actually buys

A Search campaign puts your ad in front of someone who has typed a specific request. You can see the search terms, exclude the ones you do not want, write copy against each theme and send each theme to its own page. For a business selling a defined product or service to a defined buyer, that transparency is worth a great deal.

What Performance Max actually buys

Performance Max distributes budget across search, shopping, display, video, Gmail and discovery, and decides placement and audience itself from the conversion signal you give it. Reporting is far more limited. It can work extremely well where volume is high, conversions are frequent and the product is visual or transactional.

The lead generation problem

Automated bidding optimises towards whatever you tell it a conversion is. Feed it raw form fills and it will find the cheapest form fills available — which, across display and discovery inventory, are often not buyers at all. In low-volume B2B, there is rarely enough qualified conversion data to steer it properly.

A sensible default for B2B and SMEs

1. 01Start with Search on high-intent terms, exact and phrase match, with disciplined negatives.
2. 02Get conversion tracking recording qualified enquiries, not clicks.
3. 03Establish a reliable cost per qualified lead you can live with.
4. 04Only then test Performance Max with a separate budget, judged against the same standard.

Judge both on the same number

Whichever campaign type is running, the question does not change: what did a customer cost, and what is a customer worth? Campaign type is a means. Cost per acquired customer is the verdict.