Google Tests Negative Keyword Lists in Performance Max: A Surprising Development
Some users of Google Ads have recently discovered that they can add negative keyword lists to their Performance Max (PMax) campaigns. This revelation is particularly intriguing because, according to Google’s official documentation, this feature shouldn’t even be available.
What’s Happening
Advertisers have taken to social media, especially LinkedIn, to share screenshots that showcase negative keyword lists actively present in their PMax campaign settings. Notably, this discovery first came to light thanks to Google Ads specialist Adriaan Dekker, who acknowledged Jeremy Young, Managing Director at Young & Digital, and Alyssa Knab, Media Buying Lead at Young & Digital, for their contributions in this matter.
The Official Stance
However, it’s worth noting that Google’s help documents clearly state:
“Negative keyword lists aren’t available to use in your Performance Max campaigns.” This contradiction between user experiences and official guidelines raises some questions.
What’s Going On?
At this point, it’s unclear whether this situation is a backend test, an early rollout, or perhaps a simple UI glitch. When features appear unexpectedly, it can often leave users guessing about their permanence and functionality.
Why This Matters
Advertisers have been asking for greater control over PMax targeting for quite some time, particularly concerning brand safety and filtering out irrelevant queries. This newfound ability could indicate a long-awaited shift towards more flexibility in PMax, or it might just be a temporary bug.
What’s Next?
For now, there’s been no official statement from Google. It’s a waiting game for PPC professionals, akin to the anticipation surrounding previous updates, such as the optimization tips in the recommendation score column that we reported earlier today. Stay tuned for more information!
