Microsoft has recently released updates regarding their Performance Max enhancements and the timeline for the sunset of their Smart Shopping campaigns. These updates have caught the attention of advertisers who may be considering shifting their ad budgets from Google to Microsoft’s Performance Max.
In the second quarter, Microsoft plans to roll out several capabilities to Performance Max. These include page feeds for URL extension, conversion value rules, brand exclusions at the campaign level, blocking of auto-generated text assets, automated call to action, extensions preview, search term insights report, and campaign-level asset generation settings. These additions aim to provide advertisers with more control and flexibility in their campaigns.
Looking ahead to the third quarter, Microsoft will be launching an Audience Exclusions feature on Performance Max. Although the exact date was not specified, this feature is expected to be available during the summer. Microsoft also mentioned future plans for Performance Max, which include cost per bidding strategy, video assets, experiments support, and forecasting tools. While no specific timeline was given for these capabilities, it indicates that Microsoft is continuously working to improve and expand their offerings.
One significant announcement from Microsoft is the deprecation timeline for Smart Shopping campaigns. Starting in Q3 of this year, Microsoft will begin phasing out Smart Shopping campaigns, with the process likely concluding in September. Advertisers will receive direct email notices about migrating their existing smart shopping campaigns to Performance Max in April. This transition aims to provide a seamless experience for advertisers while encouraging them to embrace the enhanced capabilities of Performance Max.
For those who have imported a Performance Max campaign from Google Ads that was originally a smart shopping or Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) campaign, Microsoft will automatically upgrade it to a Performance Max campaign in the next few weeks. However, if advertisers are using a third-party platform that does not support Performance Max yet, those campaigns will continue as smart shopping or DSA.
It’s important to note that there are currently no timelines for sunsetting DSA campaigns. Microsoft will keep DSA campaigns in the platform, allowing advertisers to upgrade them to Performance Max at their own pace.
Microsoft’s statement emphasizes their commitment to continually improving Performance Max campaigns. They mentioned upcoming capabilities such as brand exclusions, search insights reports, search themes, and video assets. As Microsoft shares more information about these new capabilities, they will also highlight success stories from advertisers who have experienced great results with Performance Max on Microsoft Advertising.
Overall, Microsoft’s latest updates demonstrate their dedication to providing advertisers with a robust and competitive advertising platform. With the introduction of new features and the sunset of Smart Shopping campaigns, Microsoft is positioning itself as a viable alternative to Google Ads for advertisers looking to maximize their ad budgets. It will be interesting to see how these enhancements impact the advertising landscape and whether advertisers will make the shift to Microsoft’s Performance Max in the coming months.
