Google is discontinuing its Smart Campaigns offering and integrating its features into Performance Max campaigns.
Why we care. This shift impacts advertisers using Google’s simplified campaign management tool and signals a broader push towards AI-driven, cross-platform advertising solutions.
The big picture. Performance Max represents Google’s next-generation approach to digital advertising, leveraging AI and machine learning to optimize ad performance across multiple platforms.
Key features of Performance Max:
- Broader reach across Google’s ecosystem (Search, YouTube, Display, etc.)
- AI-powered optimization
- Customized results based on specific business goals
What’s happening. Google will automatically upgrade existing Smart Campaigns to Performance Max campaigns.
- Even though a deadline hasn’t been set, advertisers will need to adapt to the new system
- The transition aims to streamline Google’s ad products and improve performance through AI
What they’re saying. In a letter to advertisers, Google stated, “This upgrade will drive even higher return on investment for advertisers, to take advantage of Google AI and optimize towards your business goal.”
First seen. We first came across this update from Adriaan Dekker’s LinkedIn, showing the letter one of his followers had received from Google.:
What’s next. Google plans to provide more information about the transition in the coming months.
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About the author
Anu Adegbola has been Paid Media Editor of Search Engine Land since 2024. She covers paid search, paid social, retail media, video and more.
In 2008, Anu’s career started with
delivering digital marketing campaigns (mostly but not exclusively Paid Search) by building strategies, maximising ROI, automating repetitive processes and bringing efficiency from every part of marketing departments through inspiring leadership both on agency, client and marketing tech side.
Outside editing Search Engine Land article she is the founder of PPC networking event – PPC Live, host of weekly podcast PPCChat Roundup, and brand evangelist at ClickTech.
She is also an international speaker with some of the stages she has presented on being SMX (US), SMX (Munich), Friends of Search (Amsterdam), brightonSEO, The Marketing Meetup, HeroConf (PPC Hero), SearchLove, BiddableWorld, SESLondon, PPC Chat Live, AdWorld Experience (Bologna) and more.