Why standard shopping beats P-Max for Black Friday Google Ads
Back in November 2024, I shared a controversial opinion about Performance Max (P-Max) campaigns for Black Friday Google Ads strategies—and it upset quite a few people.
I said that if you're an eCommerce business preparing for Black Friday and relying on P-Max for Google Shopping, you should consider switching to standard shopping campaigns instead.
Now, a few months later, I stand by that statement more than ever. As you plan ahead for ideas for eCommerce Black Friday in 2025, it’s time to rethink your approach to Google Ads. Here’s why standard shopping campaigns might be the better option.
Why P-Max might not be the best choice for Black Friday
Performance Max campaigns have a place in Google Ads, but during Black Friday, they come with serious limitations that could reduce your profitability.
Here’s why you should rethink using P-Max for Black Friday Google Ads strategies:
1. Control over cost-per-click (CPC)
With P-Max, you can't manually adjust your CPCs, meaning Google’s algorithm decides how much you pay per click. On Black Friday, CPCs surge due to high competition, making manual bidding in standard shopping campaigns a smarter choice.
2. Better visibility into campaign performance
P-Max provides limited data on search queries, placements, and audience insights. Standard shopping campaigns give you full transparency, allowing you to analyze performance in detail and adjust accordingly.
3. Access to real search term data
Want to see which search terms are driving sales? P-Max hides most of this data. Standard shopping campaigns let you see exactly which keywords are converting so you can optimize your campaigns.
4. Full control over negative keywords
P-Max doesn’t let you manually exclude irrelevant searches unless you go through a Google rep. With standard shopping, you can add negative keywords directly, ensuring your budget isn’t wasted on unqualified traffic.
5. More bidding strategies to choose from
P-Max forces you into automated bidding strategies, while standard shopping campaigns allow you to use manual CPC, target ROAS, and enhanced CPC, giving you more flexibility.
6. Segmentation of campaigns for better performance
P-Max blends all products into one campaign, while standard shopping lets you separate high-priority products from lower-performing ones, improving efficiency.
7. Focus your budget on best-selling products
If you have hero products that drive most of your revenue, standard shopping allows you to allocate more budget to them, rather than letting Google decide how to distribute your spend.
8. Avoid unnecessary spend on display network
P-Max automatically runs ads across Google’s display network, which may not always convert well for eCommerce during Black Friday. Standard shopping keeps your budget focused on high-intent shoppers.
9. Prevent wasted spend on YouTube ads
Google allocates part of your P-Max budget to YouTube ads, whether you want it or not. Standard shopping ensures your budget is used where it matters most—on actual shopping ads.
10. Maintain full control over your budget
Black Friday is the most expensive time of the year for Google Ads. With P-Max, Google's algorithm has full access to your budget, which can lead to rapid overspending with limited control. Standard shopping helps you manage your budget more effectively.
When does P-Max make sense?
P-Max isn’t a bad tool—it just isn’t ideal for Black Friday. If you have a longer sales cycle or a large budget for brand awareness, P-Max can work well. But during high-intent, high-competition events like Black Friday, you need precision and control.
For ideas for eCommerce Black Friday, a hybrid approach could work:
Use P-Max earlier in Q4 to build audience signals
Switch to standard shopping in the final weeks leading up to Black Friday
Final thoughts
If you want a winning strategy for Black Friday Google Ads strategies in 2025, consider moving away from P-Max and using standard shopping campaigns instead.
✅ More control over bidding and budgets
✅ Clearer performance insights
✅ Better allocation of ad spend
Black Friday is all about maximizing sales while keeping costs under control. By using standard shopping campaigns, you can optimize performance, minimize wasted spend, and make the most of this critical sales event.
Start planning your ideas for eCommerce Black Friday now, and set yourself up for a record-breaking holiday season! 🚀
