When Google Search and PMax search terms overlap, Search converts better 84% of the time

New report by UK-based PPC tool provider Adalysis shows results of comparison of performance of Google Search campaigns vs. PMax campaigns when search terms overlap.

Key findings:

• At the campaign level, 67% of PMax campaigns overlapped with Search campaigns on one or more keywords.
• Search terms trigger both Search and PMax ads 45% of the time, on average.
• For campaigns with overlapping search terms, PMax produced more impressions 61% of the time.
• For overlapping search terms, Search achieved higher CTRs 65% of the time.
• Search campaigns had higher conversion rates for overlapping search terms 84.18% of the time, and higher conversion values 84.62% of the time.

Recommendations from Adalysis:

• If running PMax campaigns for lead generation, make sure your top search terms are showing Search ads, to get higher CTRs, conversion rates and conversion values.
• Optimizing the visibility of your Search campaigns can lead to higher ROAS.
• Add exact match keywords - including top PMax search terms - to Search campaigns where relevant.
• Optimize ad copy and landing pages of Search ad groups to increase CTRs and conversions.
• Ignore Google recommendation to "remove redundant keywords" from Search campaigns when adding search terms as keywords, to avoid their defaulting to PMax.

Comment: One more piece of evidence in support of staying on top of your search terms and using exact match Search keywords.