By Jonathan Baker Performance Max from Google has become the proverbial ‘best friend’ to advertisers everywhere. Consider: This past summer, major updates were implemented, which included additional targeting options. The latest innovation from this AI campaign model? An A/B testing feature for Google’s Shopping Ads component. New Meaning to ‘Comparison Shopping’ Once an option only available for retail-focused campaigns, Performance Max is expanding A/B testing capabilities to Shopping Ads. As reported in Media Post, an experimental phase is currently taking place that will enable advertisers to compare two sets of creative assets—in the same group—to pinpoint the best-performing Shopping Ads prospect. (For added flexibility, the two sets may be organized into three groups.) And what was Performance Max’s purpose in creating this A/B testing feature, and how will it operate? All-Important Creative The creative assets in a Google Shopping Ad, such as product titles and images, are essential to campaign success. (These assets, to quote Search Engine Land, ‘make or break’ Shopping Ad performance.) Until recently, advertisers had limited options to evaluate any changes. The proposed A/B testing feature offers advertisers the ability to experiment and ‘mix-and-match’ different creative assets before deployment. (As mentioned, Performance Max is a true best friend to advertisers.) Again, it is important to remember this new A/B testing feature from Performance Max is still in the experimental phase, and not ready for widespread rollout. Performance Max Demands Patience Dario Zannoni, a web marketer based in Japan, stated that to ensure accuracy and efficiency, Performance Max carefully conducts tests and fine-tunes any features before general release to users. Results of these tests may take as much as three-to-four weeks to determine. Ginny Marvin, a Google Ads liaison, told Search Engine Land that this testing phase is currently live for a small number of merchants. Patience will pay off, as early word of mouth about this new A/B innovation from Performance Max is positive. In Closing… Once again, Google’s Performance Max has discovered and designed another benefit to make the lives of advertisers easier. Potential customers will take notice of ad copy and imagery to generate interest in a brand’s products and services. At the same time, advertisers will save time and costs on making customer interest possible. So, thank you, Performance Max, for this latest contribution to advertising. The new year is still young. Are you looking to increase your brand’s presence and visibility? Contact EGC. From social media to video production (and everything in between), your brand will be seen, heard, and be top-of-mind among consumers. Visit our Capabilities page to learn more.
