Performance Max (PMax) is good at finding conversions. The easiest conversions in most accounts are people already searching for your brand. If PMax is allowed to serve on brand queries, it will, and your reports will show a healthy ROAS that you did not really earn. Here is how to separate brand from non-brand and see what Google Ads is actually acquiring for you.
Why the blend misleads
Someone who types your brand name into Google was already going to buy or at least visit. A brand click costs a fraction of a non-brand click and converts at two to five times the rate. When both sit in one campaign, the brand results lift the average and hide weak non-brand performance.
| Segment | Spend | Revenue | ROAS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | $4,000 | $32,000 | 8.0x |
| Non-brand | $16,000 | $32,000 | 2.0x |
| Blended | $20,000 | $64,000 | 3.2x |
The blended 3.2x looks fine. The 2.0x on new customers may not clear your margin. This is an illustrative example, but we see this pattern in most accounts when we first split them.
Step 1: Measure how much PMax spends on brand
- Open PMax search term insights and categories. Look at the share of impressions on queries that include your brand or product names.
- Export the search categories report for the last 90 days.
- Estimate brand share of PMax conversions. Anything above 20% needs action.
Step 2: Build a dedicated brand Search campaign
Create a standard Search campaign for brand terms. Use exact and phrase match on your brand name, common misspellings and your top product names. Add a low target CPA or a target impression share of 90% or higher. This campaign has one job: protect your brand at the lowest possible cost.
- Write ad copy that matches brand intent: sitelinks, current offers, shipping and returns.
- Add negative keywords for jobs, support and login terms that waste clicks.
- Set a separate budget so brand never competes with non-brand for spend.
Step 3: Exclude brand from PMax
Use PMax brand exclusions so the campaign stops serving on brand queries. Apply a brand list with your name, misspellings and product names. Apply negative keywords at the account level for the rest. Brand exclusions are a strong signal, not an absolute wall, so check the search term report after two weeks.
What to expect in week one
PMax conversions and reported ROAS will drop. That is the point. You are seeing the real non-brand acquisition number for the first time. Expect volatility for 10 to 14 days while the campaign relearns.
Step 4: Set separate targets
| Campaign | Primary metric | Typical target |
|---|---|---|
| Brand Search | Impression share, CPA | 90%+ impression share, low CPA |
| PMax non-brand | New customer ROAS, nCAC | Below your nCAC ceiling |
| Standard Shopping | Query-level ROAS | Benchmark vs PMax |
Run Standard Shopping next to PMax on your best products. It gives you query control and a baseline to compare PMax against.
Step 5: Use new customer data
In PMax, enable new customer acquisition goals and upload your customer list. Set a higher conversion value for new customers. This steers bidding toward people who have not bought before and away from existing customers who would have returned anyway.
Common mistakes
- Cutting brand entirely. Competitors will bid on your name. A cheap brand campaign protects that real estate.
- Judging the split on day three. Smart Bidding needs two to four weeks to settle.
- Ignoring feed quality. Non-brand Shopping performance depends on titles, GTINs and margin labels. See our Google Ads service for the full approach.
- Mixing conversion values. Use revenue or profit values consistently across campaigns.
How to read the numbers after the split
Give the new structure 14 to 21 days, then compare three figures: brand Search cost per conversion, PMax non-brand new customer ROAS and total revenue from Google. Total revenue is the safeguard. If it fell by more than the brand volume you cut, something in the setup is wrong and you should check exclusions and budgets before drawing conclusions.
A common result is that reported PMax ROAS falls by 30 to 50% while total Google revenue barely moves. That means PMax was claiming brand sales. The right reaction is not to restore the old setup but to ask whether non-brand ROAS clears your margin. If it does not, fix the feed, the product mix or the creative assets before adding budget.
What if brand is a large share of your revenue?
For well-known brands, branded search can be 40% or more of Google revenue. In that case the split matters even more, because it shows how little new demand paid search is creating. Pair it with a plan for non-brand growth: category keywords, YouTube and Demand Gen for reach, and a feed that wins on product searches. Track branded search volume in Search Console. If non-brand activity is working, brand queries should grow over time.
Checklist
- Brand share of PMax measured
- Brand Search campaign live with its own budget
- PMax brand exclusions applied
- Account-level negatives updated
- Separate targets written for each campaign
- New customer goal enabled with customer list
- Search term report reviewed at day 14
Not sure what share of your Google spend is brand? Ask for a free ad audit and we will measure it for you.