October 3, 2025
Beyond Keywords: Discovering New Themes with Google Ads Performance Max
Dive into the world of Performance Max and learn how to identify and capitalize on additional themes that can drive traffic and conversions.
Introduction
Performance Max (PMAX), originally launched three years ago, continues to surprise users as we uncover best practices for this campaign type. Originally, PMAX concerned agencies and marketing teams alike, but has slowly found its place in the Google ads landscape. What was once a scrambled mess can now be better organized to expand non-brand searches and themes, uncovering new ways users are searching for your products and services.
As Google products continue to evolve, it is important to move beyond traditional keyword strategies and uncover the power of search themes within the PMAX campaign type.
Understanding Google Ads Performance Max
Performance Max is Google’s goal-based campaign type that runs ads across all of Google’s inventory from a single campaign. It optimizes ad delivery across Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, Discover, and Maps serving where the algorithm believes it will be best converted. Key features include automated bidding, dynamic creative combinations, audience signals to guide the algorithm, and additional breakdown reporting. Agencies and clients alike provide assets (images, videos, headlines, descriptions) and conversion goals, then the algorithm determines the best combinations and placements to maximize performance.
Traditional campaigns are search only, display only, etc. and require manual targeting optimizations like keyword additions, audience targeting, and bid adjustments. Performance Max consolidates everything into one campaign and reduces the manual optimizations needed to achieve conversion goals. It’s important to note, Performance Max operates as a “black box” where learning decisions occur automatically based on your conversion goals and assets.
Outside of copy, still images, YouTube videos and audience targeting, the introduction of search themes gives an additional layer of signals to the algorithm. Most recently, PMAX has expanded from a maximum of 25 to 50 search themes and can range from brand to non-brand and everything in between.
Where can I get these search theme ideas? Use your same keywords within your standard search campaigns, expanding with the use of the Keyword Planner and other AI tools to inform you of the most popular, relevant keywords that would pertain to your account.
Google Grants Success
Google Grants allows nonprofits to use up to $10,000 per month of search and performance max campaigns, which can be a struggle if traditional search terms are not picking up. Regardless of the industry the Google Grant applies to, it can be difficult to spend the full $10k just on search campaigns, but that is where the use of performance max can come into play.
We’ve seen tremendous growth across four unique industries, all Google Grants, having been able to utilize close to $10,000 per month with the introduction of performance max, and 50 of their best search themes, in their account.
Additional detailed reports allow you to see when, where, location, and specific asset performance to get a bit more granular, especially since PMAX can be somewhat of a blackhole.
If you are not using PMAX within your Google Grant accounts, it is highly recommended and pertinent on including to reach the $10,000 per month budget.
What Can You Do Next?
Your search and performance max campaigns can, and should, work together. Branded efforts should be isolated regardless, but PMAX can allow you to expand your non-brand depth without daily or weekly optimizations.
Here’s what you can do next:
- Identify gaps in your search campaigns
- Gather copy, still assets, video links from YouTube, audience insights and up to 50 search themes using current keywords, keyword planner and AI tools
- Identify conversion goal, budget, and determined if brand terms will be included or not
- Launch your performance max campaign, monitoring weekly, and identifying the differences between non-brand PMAX and non-brand search campaigns
Ready to take your paid media strategy to the next level? At Epic Notion, we help businesses and nonprofits launch effective Performance Max campaigns and maximize Google Grants opportunities. From account setup to strategic planning to technical execution to continuous optimization, we handle the technical details so you can focus on the bigger picture. Contact us today to learn more.
