If you’ve been running ads with Google’s Performance Max, you already know it’s built to make the most of Google’s massive reach, covering Search, YouTube, Gmail, Discover, and more, all in one campaign. However, while automation and machine learning have helped deliver results, many advertisers have sought greater clarity on how and where their ads perform.
Now, Google is rolling out new reporting tools that give advertisers more visibility and control over their campaigns. From channel-level performance to search terms data and detailed asset reporting, these updates make it easier to understand what’s working and what’s not so that you can make smarter decisions.
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Let’s break down what’s changing and how you can use these tools to fine-tune your advertising strategy.
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Get my plan →1. Channel-Level Reporting: A Top-Requested Feature
One of the most exciting updates is channel performance reporting, a long-awaited addition. Instead of just seeing how your Performance Max campaign is doing overall, you can now see how each Google channel contributes to your results.
Think of it like this: Instead of seeing the total score of a sports team, now you can see how each player performed. Whether it’s YouTube, Gmail, Maps, Search, or Display, you’ll now get a clearer picture of where your conversions are coming from.
What You’ll See:
- A new “Channel performance” page with visual summaries
- Clicks, conversions, cost, and more are broken down by channel
- Format-level insights (e.g. Shopping ads, video ads, dynamic remarketing)
- Access to placement reports for YouTube and Display ads
For example, if you’re a retailer in the home and garden space, you might notice that YouTube drives strong conversions. Based on that, you could invest in creating more video content to scale results.
2. Go Granular with the Channel Distribution Table
Further down the reporting page, Google has added a channel distribution table. This is where you’ll find more detailed data on each channel’s performance.
You can see:
- Clicks
- Impressions
- Conversions
- Cost
- Conversion value
- And more
Even better, this table is downloadable, so you can share insights with your team or analyse them in your own tools. Whether you’re working in-house or at an agency, this makes campaign reporting much more flexible.
3. Get Tips to Improve Channel Performance
Reporting is only helpful if you can act on it. That’s why Google has also added diagnostics tools to highlight areas where your campaign might be underperforming.
Say you’re not showing up in Google Maps, the tool might point out that your store locations are missing. Or maybe your Search performance is limited because your landing pages aren’t relevant enough. With this insight, you could turn on Final URL expansion, letting Google’s AI find better landing pages to match what users are looking for.
These kinds of small tweaks can make a big difference when trying to improve return on ad spend.
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4. Full Search Terms Reporting Is Rolling Out
Another big change: Search terms reporting is getting a major upgrade. Until now, Performance Max has only given limited insight into what people were actually searching for before clicking your ads. That’s changing.
Now you’ll be able to see search terms at the same level of detail as you can in regular Search or Shopping campaigns.
Why It Matters:
- You can identify high-performing search terms and create better text assets.
- If you spot irrelevant terms, you can add negative keywords or brand exclusions.
- This gives you more control without having to give up the benefits of Performance Max automation.
It’s a big win for advertisers who want transparency without sacrificing performance.
5. Richer Asset Metrics for Smarter Creative Decisions
Assessing your headlines, images, videos, and product feeds plays a huge role in ad performance. Until now, Performance Max has mostly reported on which assets were driving conversions.
Now, Google is adding more depth to asset-level reporting, including:
- Clicks
- Impressions
- Cost
- Conversion value per cost
- Average CPC
These updates are also being rolled out to Search and Display campaigns, not just Performance Max.
With these insights, you can figure out:
- Which types of creatives work best
- Which themes or formats are underperforming
- Where to focus next when building new assets
Let’s say your video assets are driving a lower CPC and more conversions than your static images now; you’ll know it for sure and can adjust your strategy accordingly.
Final Thoughts: Smarter Automation with More Control
Performance Max has always been about using automation to help you get the best results without needing to micromanage every setting. But with these new updates, you’re getting the best of both worlds: powerful automation, plus clearer insights and more ways to act on them.
As people search, scroll, shop, and stream across different platforms, the customer journey keeps getting more complex. Having detailed reporting by channel and format helps you meet customers wherever they are and do it profitably.
If you want to test out the new channel performance reporting, the open beta is launching soon, and more details will be shared at Google Marketing Live on May 21.
Whether you’re new to Performance Max or already running strong campaigns, these updates can help you take things to the next level.
Pro Tip: Don’t just look at average performance by channel. Focus on marginal ROI: how much value you get from each extra dollar you spend on a specific channel, for smarter budget allocation.
Written by Uzair Kharawala
Partner at SF Digital Studios, a Google Premier Partner agency. Uzair has been helping businesses grow with Google Ads since 2002 and teaches it every week on YouTube.
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