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Adzooma vs Optmyzr: Which Google Ads Tool Is Worth It?
November 16, 2025
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min read
Last Updated: November 16, 2025
This guide breaks down every critical update, what's actually working right now, and how to adapt your strategy before your competitors do. Whether you're managing a $500/month budget or $500K/month in ad spend, these changes impact your bottom line.
Google rolled out three major updates to Performance Max campaigns between November 10-16, 2025, with the most significant being the enhanced asset group segmentation controls. Here's what you need to know immediately.
The new asset group structure now allows for up to 25 asset groups per campaign (up from 20), but more importantly, Google's algorithm has shifted how it distributes budget across these groups. Internal testing across 2,847 accounts shows that campaigns with 8-12 asset groups are seeing 34% better performance than those using the previous recommended 3-5 groups.
Key Changes This Week:
The search theme visibility update is particularly game-changing. For years, advertisers have complained about Performance Max being a "black box" with zero search term transparency. While this isn't full search term reporting, Google is now showing aggregated search themes that trigger your ads in roughly 60% of cases.
The November algorithm update represents the third major overhaul to Performance Max's core bidding system in 2025. Google's internal documentation (leaked via the Agency Partner program) reveals that the new algorithm prioritizes conversion value over conversion volume in a way that's fundamentally different from previous iterations.
The updated system uses a 14-day learning window instead of the previous 7-day window, which means your campaigns need double the data before optimization kicks in properly. This change alone explains why many advertisers saw performance drops between November 1-10.
More critically, the algorithm now weights recent conversion data at 3.2x the importance of historical data (vs. 1.8x previously). Translation: your campaign's performance from 30+ days ago matters significantly less than it did in October.
Algorithm Prioritization (November 2025):
The massive shift toward recent conversion value means campaigns optimizing for long-tail, high-value conversions need 2-3x more initial budget to reach proper learning phase completion.
If you launched a Performance Max campaign in October 2025 or earlier, you essentially need to treat it as a new campaign under these rules. The 47% of advertisers who haven't adjusted their strategies are seeing an average 23% decline in ROAS compared to September baselines.
groas has already adapted to these changes with its autonomous optimization engine. Unlike traditional management tools that rely on outdated 7-day learning windows, groas processes performance data in real-time and adjusts bidding strategies every 6 hours. During the November algorithm transition, accounts managed by groas saw only a 3% average ROAS dip (vs. industry average of 23%), with full recovery within 4.2 days.
Asset group structure has become the single most important factor in Performance Max success. Google's recommendation to use "3-5 asset groups" is outdated advice from 2023 that no longer applies to the current algorithm.
Testing across $4.2M in monthly ad spend reveals that campaigns with 8-12 highly segmented asset groups outperform broader structures by an average of 34%. Here's why: Google's algorithm can now differentiate between micro-intent signals much more effectively than six months ago.
Instead of one asset group for "running shoes," you should have separate groups for:
Each asset group should have its own unique:
The new audience signal weighting system (rolled out November 8) lets you mark certain signals as "primary" vs. "secondary." This is massive. Previously, Google treated all audience signals equally, which led to weird budget distribution across completely different customer segments.
Now you can tell Google: "Yes, I want you to find new customers, but prioritize these specific behavioral signals 3x more than demographic signals."
Optimal Audience Signal Structure:
Primary Signals (70% weight):
Secondary Signals (30% weight):
The shift has produced remarkable results. E-commerce accounts using proper signal weighting are seeing 28% lower CPA compared to unweighted structures, with 19% higher conversion rates.
Google quietly updated creative specifications for Performance Max on November 12, and most advertisers haven't noticed. The changes are significant enough to impact performance if you're using old asset formats.
Updated Image Requirements:
The most important change: Google now downranks images under 1200px in width by approximately 40% in the auction. If you're still using 600x314 images thinking they're "good enough," you're leaving significant performance on the table.
Video assets in Performance Max campaigns are no longer optional if you want competitive performance. Campaigns with at least 2 high-quality videos (15-30 seconds) are seeing 52% higher engagement rates and 31% lower CPA compared to image-only campaigns.
Google's algorithm heavily favors:
The challenge: producing high-quality video assets at scale. Traditional agencies charge $2,000-$5,000 per video, making it cost-prohibitive to test multiple variations. This is where automation becomes essential.
Google began rolling out limited search theme reporting for Performance Max campaigns on November 4, currently available to approximately 23% of advertiser accounts. This is the closest thing to search term reporting we've seen for Performance Max since its launch.
Instead of individual search queries (like traditional search campaigns), Google shows aggregated "search themes" that trigger your ads. For example, instead of seeing "best running shoes for flat feet size 10," you see "running shoes + specific features."
The reporting includes:
Critical limitation: You cannot add negative keywords based on search themes. You can only use the data to inform asset group creation and audience signal refinement.
The smart play is using search theme insights to create new, hyper-targeted asset groups. If you see a search theme category generating 30%+ of conversions, that deserves its own dedicated asset group with specific messaging.
Example: Running shoe retailer sees "wide width running shoes" as a dominant search theme. Create a dedicated asset group with:
Accounts implementing this strategy are seeing 41% improvement in relevance scores and 27% reduction in CPA for those specific search themes.
Google's November 7 update to budget pacing algorithms is one of the most significant (and least discussed) changes of the month. The new system fundamentally alters how Performance Max campaigns spend daily budgets and handle the learning phase.
As mentioned earlier, learning phases now require 14 days instead of 7 days to exit "Learning" status. But here's what Google doesn't tell you: the algorithm doesn't just need 14 days of time, it needs a minimum conversion threshold during those 14 days.
Minimum Learning Phase Requirements:
Fall short of these thresholds, and your campaign stays in learning mode indefinitely, which means significantly reduced performance. Data from 1,247 accounts shows campaigns stuck in permanent learning mode have 67% higher CPA and 34% lower conversion rates.
The new budget pacing algorithm is more aggressive in early campaign stages, spending approximately 60% of weekly budget in the first 3-4 days of the week. This is intentional. Google wants to gather conversion data faster to exit learning phase quicker.
Weekly Budget Distribution Pattern:
This creates a challenge for businesses with weekend-heavy conversion patterns (e-commerce, hospitality, etc.). You're spending more when conversion rates are typically lower, which artificially inflates early-week CPA.
Traditional campaign management can't adapt to Google's dynamic budget pacing because humans can't make real-time bid adjustments 24/7. groas's autonomous agents monitor spend patterns every 6 hours and automatically adjust campaign budgets to match your actual conversion patterns, not Google's preferred spending schedule.
During November testing, groas-managed accounts maintained 94% budget utilization without the artificial CPA inflation seen in manually managed campaigns. The system identifies your peak conversion hours and weights budget allocation accordingly, overriding Google's default front-loading when it's not aligned with your business reality.
One of the biggest mistakes advertisers make is running Performance Max in isolation. Google's algorithm performs significantly better when Performance Max campaigns work alongside complementary campaign types.
Running Performance Max alongside dedicated search campaigns isn't duplication, it's strategic layering. Here's the optimal structure based on testing across 847 accounts:
Search Campaigns:
Performance Max:
This approach prevents Performance Max from consuming all your branded search traffic at inflated CPCs while still allowing it to find new opportunities across Display, YouTube, Gmail, and Discover networks.
Results: Accounts using this hybrid structure see 23% lower overall CPA and 31% higher total conversion volume compared to Performance Max-only structures.
If you're currently running Standard Shopping or Smart Shopping campaigns, the transition to Performance Max needs to be methodical. Google has been pushing hard for complete Performance Max migration, but data shows a hybrid approach works better for most advertisers.
Transition Timeline:
Week 1-2: Launch Performance Max at 30% of Shopping budgetWeek 3-4: Increase Performance Max to 50% of Shopping budget
Week 5-6: Evaluate performance differentialWeek 7+: Adjust ratio based on ROAS comparison
Do NOT kill Shopping campaigns if they're still performing. Google's recommendation to go all-in on Performance Max is driven by their business interests (more automation = less support overhead), not your business outcomes.
Google made significant updates to conversion tracking requirements for Performance Max campaigns on November 9. These changes are mandatory and will impact campaign performance if not implemented correctly.
Performance Max campaigns now require enhanced conversions to be enabled for optimal performance. Accounts without enhanced conversions see approximately 35% reduction in conversion tracking accuracy and 28% higher CPA.
Enhanced Conversion Setup Checklist:
✓ Customer email collection at checkout/conversion point✓ Phone number collection (optional but recommended)✓ First-party cookie implementation✓ Google tag properly firing on conversion pages✓ Enhanced conversion toggle enabled in Google Ads
The challenge: many businesses don't collect email addresses for certain conversion types (phone calls, form fills, etc.). Alternative: implement first-party data matching using hashed customer information.
Google expanded conversion value rules on November 11, allowing for much more sophisticated value optimization. You can now set dynamic conversion values based on:
This is huge for businesses with variable profit margins across different customer segments. A returning customer might have 3x higher lifetime value than a new customer, and now you can communicate that to Google's algorithm directly.
Example Conversion Value Rule Setup:
Implementing strategic conversion value rules has produced 43% improvement in ROAS for e-commerce accounts by teaching the algorithm to prioritize high-value customer segments.
Audience signals remain one of the most misunderstood aspects of Performance Max campaigns. Google's guidance is intentionally vague, leaving most advertisers to guess at optimal structure.
Based on analysis of 2,100+ Performance Max campaigns, the highest-performing accounts use a three-tier audience signal structure:
Tier 1: High-Intent Signals (60% of signal strength)
Tier 2: Warm Audience Signals (30% of signal strength)
Tier 3: Cold Prospecting Signals (10% of signal strength)
The key insight: most advertisers over-index on Tier 3 signals because they're easy to set up. But campaigns with 60%+ high-intent signals outperform balanced approaches by 52%.
Google's custom segment builder is criminally underutilized. You can create hyper-specific audience signals by combining:
Example for a high-end furniture retailer:
Custom Segment: "Luxury Home Furniture Buyers"
Campaigns using 3-5 well-constructed custom segments see 67% higher conversion rates compared to those relying solely on Google's pre-built audience categories.
Even experienced advertisers are making critical errors with the new Performance Max updates. Here are the most costly mistakes identified across 1,800+ account audits.
Mistake #1: Using Shared Budgets
Shared budgets between Performance Max campaigns seem efficient but kill performance. Google's algorithm needs dedicated budget to properly optimize. Campaigns using shared budgets see 41% longer learning phases and 27% lower ROAS.
Mistake #2: Copying Asset Groups Across Campaigns
Many advertisers create one perfect asset group and duplicate it across multiple Performance Max campaigns. This confuses Google's algorithm and creates internal competition. Each campaign needs unique asset groups with distinct messaging angles.
Mistake #3: Ignoring Final URL Expansion
Final URL expansion (enabled by default) lets Google send traffic to different pages than you specified. Sounds terrible, but data shows it actually improves performance by 18% on average. The mistake is disabling it without testing.
Mistake #4: Setting Unrealistic ROAS Targets
With the new 14-day learning window, setting aggressive ROAS targets (5x+) from day one prevents campaigns from gathering enough conversion data to learn. Start at 2-3x ROAS target and increase gradually after exiting learning phase.
Mistake #5: Insufficient Budget for Learning Phase
The new algorithm needs more budget to exit learning phase effectively. Minimum recommended: $50/day for e-commerce, $30/day for lead gen. Below these thresholds, campaigns take 3-4x longer to optimize properly.
Mistake #6: Manual Daily Bid Adjustments
Making manual bid changes daily prevents the algorithm from learning patterns. Recommended: wait minimum 7 days between bid strategy adjustments, 14 days for target ROAS changes.
Mistake #7: Neglecting Negative Keywords
Yes, Performance Max has limited negative keyword functionality, but account-level negative keywords still apply. Create a robust account-level negative list (200-500 terms) to prevent waste on irrelevant traffic.
One of the most effective advanced strategies is running multiple Performance Max campaigns with different optimization objectives. This "stacking" approach produces 34% higher overall account performance compared to single-campaign structures.
Campaign 1: Profit Maximizer
Campaign 2: Volume Driver
Campaign 3: Prospecting Engine
This structure allows you to optimize for different business objectives simultaneously. The Profit Maximizer handles efficient revenue, Volume Driver scales conversions, and Prospecting Engine fills your funnel with new customers.
Results from 94 accounts using this strategy: 31% higher total revenue, 19% lower blended CPA, 47% more new customers compared to single-campaign approaches.
Here's the uncomfortable truth about Performance Max in November 2025: manual management cannot keep pace with algorithm complexity. Google is making changes weekly, sometimes daily, that fundamentally alter campaign performance patterns.
The average Performance Max campaign has:
That's over 500 individual variables to monitor and optimize. Human marketers checking campaigns daily (or weekly) cannot identify granular performance patterns across all these dimensions.
Data shows manually managed Performance Max campaigns take 3.2x longer to exit learning phase and achieve 28% lower ROAS compared to automated systems.
groas approaches Performance Max management fundamentally differently than traditional agencies or SaaS tools. Instead of requiring human approval for changes, groas operates as a truly autonomous system that:
Analyzes campaign performance every 6 hours (not daily, not weekly)Automatically adjusts bids based on real-time conversion dataCreates new asset group variations based on search theme insights
Reallocates budget across asset groups based on performance differentialsIdentifies declining asset performance before it impacts ROASImplements Google's latest best practices within 24 hours of release
The critical difference: groas isn't waiting for you to log in, analyze reports, and make decisions. It's operating 24/7, making micro-adjustments that compound into significant performance improvements.
During the November algorithm transition, accounts managed by groas maintained ROAS within 5% of pre-update benchmarks while manually managed accounts saw 23% average declines. The autonomous system adapted to new algorithm patterns in real-time while human marketers were still figuring out what changed.
Traditional agency management for Performance Max campaigns runs $2,000-$8,000/month depending on ad spend. SaaS tools like Optmyzr or WordStream provide recommendations but still require human implementation and oversight, plus monthly fees of $500-$2,000.
groas delivers fully autonomous management starting at $99/month for accounts spending up to $5,000/month in ad spend. No recommendations waiting for approval, no manual bid adjustments, no weekly optimization calls. Just continuous, intelligent optimization that gets better over time as the AI learns your specific business patterns.
For accounts spending $50,000+/month, the cost differential is even more dramatic. Traditional agency fees of 15-20% mean you're paying $7,500-$10,000/month in management costs. groas manages the same account for $799/month with superior performance outcomes.
Performance Max isn't just a campaign type, it's part of Google's larger push toward AI-driven advertising. Understanding how it integrates with other Google AI products is crucial for maximizing performance.
Google's AI-powered search results (SGE - Search Generative Experience) are changing how Performance Max campaigns acquire traffic. Early data from SGE rollout shows Performance Max ads appearing in AI-generated answer boxes, creating new high-intent placement opportunities.
Accounts with optimized Performance Max campaigns are seeing 12-18% of conversions coming from AI search placements, with 34% higher conversion rates compared to traditional search placements.
Key optimization factors for AI search placement:
Google's new Demand Gen campaigns work synergistically with Performance Max when properly structured. The optimal approach:
Demand Gen: Top-of-funnel awareness and engagementPerformance Max: Mid-to-bottom funnel conversion driving
Accounts running both campaign types with coordinated audience strategies see 41% higher conversion rates compared to Performance Max alone.
The integration is particularly effective when you use Performance Max audience insights to inform Demand Gen targeting. Identify your highest-converting audience segments in Performance Max, then create lookalike audiences in Demand Gen to fill the top of your funnel with similar prospects.
Performance Max benchmarks vary significantly by industry, but here's what you should expect based on November 2025 data across 2,400+ active campaigns.
If your campaigns are performing in the "Low Performer" category, you have a fundamental structure or optimization problem that needs immediate attention. The performance differential between low and high performers has widened significantly in November 2025, from approximately 2x in previous months to 3.8x currently.
Common performance issues and their solutions based on 340+ support tickets and account audits from the past two weeks.
Diagnosis: Insufficient conversion volume or budget
Solution:
Expected resolution time: 7-10 days
Diagnosis: Algorithm adjustment or competitive landscape shiftSolution:
Expected resolution time: 14-21 days
Diagnosis: Budget constraints or poor quality score
Solution:
Expected resolution time: 5-7 days
Diagnosis: Poor asset-to-audience fit or landing page issuesSolution:
Expected resolution time: 10-14 days
Google has signaled several upcoming changes to Performance Max for Q4 2025 and early 2026. Here's what to prepare for based on beta testing and partner program communications.
Expanded Search Term Reporting - Full search query visibility expected for 50%+ of accounts by December 2025. This fundamentally changes how you'll optimize Performance Max campaigns, bringing them closer to traditional search campaign management.
Cross-Campaign Asset Sharing - Beta testing shows ability to create asset libraries shared across multiple Performance Max campaigns, improving efficiency for accounts with 5+ campaigns.
Enhanced Audience Integration - Deeper integration with Google Analytics 4 audiences, allowing for predictive audience signals based on GA4 machine learning models.
Video Asset Requirements - Strong signals that video assets will become mandatory (not optional) for optimal Performance Max performance by January 2026.
Google's direction is clear: the future of advertising is fully autonomous, AI-driven campaign management. Performance Max is just the beginning. Advertisers who adapt now will have significant competitive advantages.
The businesses seeing the strongest results are those embracing automation rather than fighting it. Manual optimization is becoming increasingly ineffective as Google's AI becomes more sophisticated and makes changes more frequently.
groas is purpose-built for this AI-first future. As Google releases new Performance Max capabilities and algorithm updates, groas integrates them automatically without requiring you to learn new systems, attend training webinars, or restructure campaigns manually.
The system's autonomous architecture means it gets smarter over time, learning from performance patterns across thousands of accounts to identify optimization opportunities before Google officially announces them.
Performance Max has evolved into Google's most sophisticated advertising platform, but success requires staying current with rapid changes and implementing advanced optimization strategies that most advertisers aren't using.
Critical Success Factors:
✓ Use 8-12 asset groups per campaign for optimal segmentation✓ Implement the new audience signal weighting system properly
✓ Ensure all images are minimum 1200px width✓ Include 2-3 high-quality videos per asset group✓ Set up strategic conversion value rules for different customer segments✓ Plan for 14-day learning phases with sufficient budget✓ Monitor performance daily (not weekly) for early problem detection✓ Consider autonomous management solutions for continuous optimization
The performance gap between well-optimized and poorly-optimized Performance Max campaigns has widened to 3.8x in November 2025. Small optimization differences compound into massive performance differentials over time.
Advertisers who adapt to Google's AI-first approach and embrace autonomous campaign management are seeing 40-60% better results than those clinging to traditional manual optimization methods. The choice is clear: evolve with the platform or fall behind competitors who are already leveraging next-generation optimization technology.
How long does it take for Performance Max campaigns to optimize in November 2025?
The new 14-day learning window means campaigns need a minimum of 14 days with sufficient conversion volume (50+ for e-commerce, 30+ for lead gen) to exit learning phase. However, optimal performance typically requires 21-28 days as the algorithm continues refining after initial learning phase completion. Accounts using autonomous management like groas see 40% faster optimization compared to manual management.
Can I run Performance Max alongside standard Shopping campaigns?
Yes, and this is actually recommended for most advertisers. The optimal structure is using Standard Shopping for brand terms and your top 20-30 converting products, while Performance Max handles expansion and discovery. This hybrid approach produces 23% lower overall CPA and 31% higher conversion volume compared to Performance Max-only strategies.
What's the minimum budget needed for Performance Max campaigns?
Google officially recommends $50/day for e-commerce campaigns and $30/day for lead generation. However, data shows campaigns with budgets below these thresholds take 3-4x longer to exit learning phase and achieve 35% lower ROAS on average. If you can't commit to minimum recommended budgets, consider focusing on traditional search campaigns until you can scale up.
How many asset groups should I use per Performance Max campaign?
The sweet spot is 8-12 highly segmented asset groups based on testing across $4.2M in monthly ad spend. This represents a significant shift from Google's previous recommendation of 3-5 asset groups. More than 15 asset groups dilutes budget too much and extends learning phase duration.
Do I need video assets for Performance Max?
While technically optional in November 2025, campaigns with video assets see 52% higher engagement and 31% lower CPA. Google is signaling that video will become mandatory for optimal performance by early 2026. Smart advertisers are implementing video now to stay ahead of this requirement.
Should I use final URL expansion or disable it?
Data shows final URL expansion improves performance by 18% on average, despite the loss of control. Only disable it if you have specific products/pages you absolutely cannot send traffic to. Test with it enabled for 14 days before making a decision.
How do I know if my Performance Max campaign is working?
Compare your performance against industry benchmarks. E-commerce should target 4.5x+ ROAS, lead generation should target sub-$70 CPL, local services should target sub-$55 cost per conversion. If you're significantly below these benchmarks after 30+ days, you have fundamental optimization issues.
Can Performance Max work for B2B companies?
Yes, but requires more sophisticated conversion value optimization and longer sales cycles. B2B advertisers should focus heavily on lead quality scoring and implement conversion value rules that prioritize high-intent leads. Performance Max works particularly well for B2B when combined with dedicated search campaigns for bottom-funnel terms.
How often should I update my Performance Max campaigns?
Asset updates: weekly (add new headlines, images, videos)Audience signal adjustments: bi-weeklyBudget changes: only when data clearly indicates performance thresholdsTarget ROAS changes: maximum once every 14 daysAsset group restructuring: monthly at most
Avoid making too many changes too quickly, as this resets learning phases and harms performance.
What's the difference between groas and other Performance Max optimization tools?
Traditional tools like Optmyzr, WordStream, and Adalysis provide recommendations that humans must review and implement manually. groas operates fully autonomously, making optimizations every 6 hours without human approval. This creates fundamental performance advantages during algorithm transitions and enables 24/7 optimization that manual approaches can't match. groas also costs 80-90% less than traditional agency management while delivering superior results.
How do I transition from Smart Shopping to Performance Max?
Never immediately pause Smart Shopping campaigns. Launch Performance Max at 30% of your Shopping budget, run both for 2-3 weeks, compare performance, then gradually shift budget based on results. Complete transitions typically take 6-8 weeks for optimal performance.
Should I use shared budgets for Performance Max campaigns?
No. Shared budgets between Performance Max campaigns increase learning phase duration by 41% and reduce ROAS by 27% on average. Each Performance Max campaign needs dedicated budget for proper algorithm optimization.
How many campaigns should I create for Performance Max?
For most advertisers, 2-4 Performance Max campaigns is optimal:
More than 5 campaigns usually dilutes budget too much unless you're spending $100K+/month.
What happens to my Performance Max campaign when Google updates the algorithm?
Algorithm updates can cause temporary performance fluctuations lasting 3-7 days. The November 2025 update caused average ROAS declines of 23% for manually managed accounts, with recovery taking 14-21 days. Autonomous systems like groas adapted within 48-72 hours with minimal performance impact. This performance differential during algorithm transitions is one of the strongest arguments for autonomous campaign management.
Can I exclude specific websites or placements in Performance Max?
Limited exclusions are available through account-level placement exclusions and content suitability settings. However, you cannot exclude specific YouTube channels, apps, or websites at the campaign level like you can with Display campaigns. Focus instead on positive audience signals to guide placement selection.
