Performance Max for ecommerce in 2025: structure, assets, and scale rules

TL;DR

• Consolidate for learning; split only for clear budget/margin reasons.

• Build complete asset groups (text, images, video) and keep feeds clean.

• Guide discovery with signals/controls, not micro-management.

• Scale only while your incremental MER holds.

The simplest structure that works

• Start with one PMax campaign for your core store/catalog.

• Split later when you truly need separate budgets/targets (e.g., distinct margins, geo, brand vs non-brand).

• Inside the campaign, create asset groups by product family or angle (not per SKU). Keep groups chunky enough to learn.

Asset groups: what “complete” means

• Text: 5–15 headlines, 4–5 long headlines, 5 descriptions; include your key value props and offers.

• Images: clean crops, product + lifestyle, square and landscape.

• Video: supply at least one short video per group (don’t rely on auto-generated).

• Logos/brand fields: consistent, high-res.

Feed fundamentals (non-negotiable)

• Valid GTIN/brand/category, descriptive titles, rich attributes (size/color/material), and availability/price synced.

• Fix disapprovals in Merchant Center first; don’t scale while errors are red.

• Use supplemental feeds or feed rules to improve titles and attributes without changing your source file.

Signals & controls (use lightly)

• Audience signals: Customer Match, remarketing, in-market/custom intent.

• Search themes / URL expansion: help discovery but exclude low-value sections (careers/blog).

• Brand controls: exclude irrelevant brands/queries where appropriate.

Scale rules (CFO-friendly)

• Approve budgets on MER; steer creatives/angles with platform ROAS.

• Raise budgets only while incremental MER ≥ your floor. If it slips, improve feed/creative/lander before adding spend.

Weekly checklist

• Groups have complete assets (incl. video).

• Merchant Center clean; key attributes filled.

• Signals set; low-value URLs excluded.

• Keep/kill/scale list by group, not just campaign.

• MER/iMER still within band after any budget move.

  
  

FAQ

How many PMax campaigns do I need?
Start with one. Add more only for distinct goals, margins, or geos.

Do I still need great feeds with PMax?
Yes. Shopping inventory inside PMax still lives or dies by feed quality.