Get More Local Leads with Google Local Services Ads — Plans Start at $600/Month
0 like 0 dislike
473 views
by Marketing Guru (7.4k points)

1 Answer

0 like 0 dislike
by Marketing Guru (8.3k points)

Not directly — Performance Max (PMax) doesn't let you force placements like "more YouTube, less Search" the way traditional campaigns do. It’s fully automated across Google’s inventory: Search, Shopping, Display, YouTube, Gmail, and Discovery

However, there are ways to nudge or influence it toward a more YouTube-heavy delivery.

1. Use strong YouTube-style creative assets

If you want more video delivery, you need to feed PMax the kind of assets that belong on YouTube.

  • Upload at least one real, high-quality video ad (not Google’s auto-generated ones)

  • Format it like a YouTube ad: clear hook, branding early, call-to-action

  • Avoid “static image turned into video” slideshows — they don’t perform well

Without a video, Google will still show on YouTube, but with an ugly auto-generated creative — which you don’t want.

2. Build audience signals that resemble YouTube viewers

In your asset group, under Audience Signals, try:

  • Custom segments based on:

    • People who searched for “[Your YouTube topic]”

    • Visited video-related URLs

  • Add audiences like:

    • YouTube viewers

    • Video watchers

    • Channel subscribers (if applicable)

Google uses these to decide which surface (YouTube, Display, etc.) your ad fits best.

3. Check your placements & adjust creatives accordingly

After a few days, go to: PMax Campaign → Insights → Asset group → Placements (bottom section) 

This shows where your ads are actually running (YouTube channels, sites, apps, etc.)

If YouTube isn’t showing up much:

  • Add more engaging video creative

  • Remove weaker creative that might be pushing delivery elsewhere

4. Alternative route: Run a YouTube-only campaign

If your real goal is YouTube-first control, consider running:

  • A YouTube Video Action Campaign (VAC) or

  • A YouTube Reach or In-Feed campaign

Then use PMax only for Shopping, Discovery, etc.

So, you can’t force PMax to show mostly on YouTube, but you can influence it by:

  • Supplying strong video assets

  • Adding video-engaged audiences

  • Reviewing placements and optimizing creative accordingly

Join a specialized Q&A site for digital marketing experts focused on ad platforms like Google, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Bing, Quora, and more. Connect with peers to share strategies on client retention beyond acquisition. Discuss and solve technical, managerial, or general challenges to improve your ad campaigns and client relationships.

Register to unlock your digital marketing potential!
Get More Local Leads!
Google Local Services Ads
Starting at $600/Month

Most popular tags

google-ads facebook-ads meta-ads amazon-fba amazon-ads amazon-seller-help youtube-ads ad-campaigns x-ads amazon-2026 pinterest-ads performance-max paid-advertising glsa amazon-storefront ppc-strategy amazon-ppc amazon-seller-account twitter-ads local-service-ads server-side-tracking tiktok-ads conversion-tracking ppc-marketing google-analytics google-tag-manager server-side-tagging ppc ga4 dv-360 google-business-profile campaign-optimization facebook-pixel white-label-agency dynamic-keyword-insertion tools-to-find-keywords microsoft-advertisement feature-snippet-types meta-threads white-label-advertising convertion-tracking feature-snippet performance-marketing-agency pinterest-conversion-lift-study amazon-ungatedwholesale advantage-plus keyword-research shopify bing-ads-ppc video-ads ad-performance amazon-listing marchupdate2026 ppc-optimization metabusinessmanager landing-page mcc-google youtube-trueview-ads google-ads-calls-from-website-conversion pitch-digital-marketing-services pitch-deck-creation tiktok2026 sales-tax-exemptions audience-targeting ad-optimization ppc-landing-page learning-phase creative-testing google-merchant-listings google-local-service-ads disclosure-rule amazon-fbm ahrefs-keyword-difficulty display-ads demand-gen-campaigns dropshipping clickable-ads gtm amazon-product-listing budget-management creative-optimization looker-studio-report trend-genius-ai pinterest-carousel-ads bing-ads-management ppc-campaigns meta-carousel-ads pmax-campaigns campaign-structure microsoft-ads ad-creatives lead-generation landing-page-optimization advantage-campaigns microsoft-advertising-editor search-ads phased-campaign-strategy digital-marketing-tips digital-advertising negative-keywords
...