Question

Can I exclude branded search terms from my PMax campaigns without hurting performance?

Answer 1

Yes, you can exclude branded search terms from your Performance Max (PMax) campaigns, but it must be done strategically to avoid hurting performance.

Here’s how it works and what to consider:

1. Use Account-Level Negative Keywords via Support (Legacy Method)

• Google doesn’t allow ad group-level keyword exclusions in PMax.

• But you can request account-level negative keywords (including branded terms) through:

  • Google rep

  • Support chat or form

2. Use Brand Exclusions (New Feature)

• Google has rolled out a Brand Exclusions feature for PMax.

• Go to your campaign → Settings → Brand Exclusions.

• Select your own brand name to prevent PMax from showing branded queries.

When Should You Exclude Branded Terms?

Do it when:

• You already dominate organic/branded traffic and don’t want to pay for it.

• You want clean performance data on non-branded keywords.

• You’re running a branded Search campaign separately and don’t want overlap.

Avoid it if:

• You’re launching a new brand and need visibility across all channels.

• You don’t have strong SEO/brand awareness yet.

• Most of your conversions are coming from branded queries in PMax.

Smart Workaround

• Run two separate campaigns:

  1. PMax with brand exclusions (for prospecting)

  2. Branded Search campaign (to capture brand intent at low CPC)

This setup gives you more control, clearer attribution, and lower blended CPA.