Media + Money: what the Performance Max update does and does not solve

Google is rolling out more steering and reporting for Performance Max, including first-party audience exclusions, campaign-level budget projections, expanded audience reporting, and network segmentation in placement reports.

The opportunity: Buyers can get a clearer view of who campaigns reach, where ads appear, and how budgets may pace.

The watch-out: More reporting is useful, but it does not replace incrementality testing, clean first-party data, or an explicit brand-safety review.

Buyer checklist:

Test exclusions against an acquisition goal.

Compare projected spend with actual pacing weekly.

Review network-level placements, not only blended performance.

Document what the platform optimized—and what your team decided.