Performance Max vs Search campaigns: How to avoid internal competition in Google Ads

So, picture this: you and your colleagues are sitting in a cozy cafeteria, with steam rising from bold espresso, keyboard clacks in the air, and one of them says, “Hey, does Performance Max sneakily steal your Search campaign’s thunder?” You brace, ready to argue, because this conversation happens at every PPC cocktail hour.

You’re thinking, “PMax is the glamour-driven cousin of Search campaigns, surely there’s room for both?” But your gut tells you something’s… off. Maybe branded traffic has dipped. Maybe your Search CTR and conversions used to glow—now they’re flickering. Or perhaps your budget feels like it’s going to a black hole that looks suspiciously like PMax.

Good news: you’re not hallucinating. This Performance Max cannibalization stuff is real. And it’s not about finger-pointing, it’s about smart collaboration.

So, before your afternoon caffeine kicks in, let’s walk through this with a touch of our expertise and facts you can lean on.

Setting the scene: A tale of two campaign types

You may think of your Search campaigns like a meticulously tended garden. Every keyword is planted carefully, every match type pruned, negative keywords weeded out, and ad copy nurtured to perfection. You know exactly what will bloom, high-intent traffic, clicks that matter, conversions that count.

Now imagine Performance Max (PMax) as Google’s autopilot rocket. You hand it creative assets, product feeds, audience signals, and your conversion goals, and it blasts off across Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, Discover, and Shopping. You don’t micromanage every detail, you trust Google’s AI to figure out where your ads perform best.

Here’s the rule from Google: if a search query exactly matches an exact-match keyword in your Search campaign, that campaign should take priority. 

Sounds neat, right? 

But things get murkier with phrase or broad match keywords. That’s when Ad Rank, the mix of bid, quality score, and expected CTR, takes over the decision. In simple terms, even your perfectly tuned Search ad can lose the auction if PMax’s algorithm thinks it can perform better.

Decoding research findings: The overlap is real

Let’s be real: once PMax enters the picture, it doesn’t politely stay out of Search’s way. In most accounts, it starts nibbling at the same traffic your Search campaigns are hunting. Data from industry studies show this is more than just anecdotal.

~ Keyword & search term overlap: Between 91–97% of accounts report overlapping search terms triggered by both Search and PMax campaigns. In simpler terms, almost every advertiser sees these two campaigns fighting over the same eyeballs.

~ How much overlap? Around 56% of Search campaigns and nearly 45% of search terms overlap between Search and PMax, meaning your finely-tuned Search ad is not the only player in the auction.

~ Even exact matches aren’t fully safe: Surprisingly, about 2.8% of exact-match search terms were triggered by PMax ads instead of Search campaigns, a subtle reminder that Google’s automation sometimes decides it knows best.

When this overlap happens, performance differences emerge:

~ Search campaigns still shine with higher CTR in ~65% of overlapping cases.

~ They also drive higher conversion rates in ~84% of cases.

And for most accounts, Search delivers higher conversion value in over 84% of situations.

Meanwhile, PMax wins in impressions (~61%), especially when Search campaign budgets or settings limit ad eligibility. In simple terms, PMax might grab the stage, but Search usually delivers the more qualified, high-intent audience.

Why does PMax sometimes outbid Search?

Okay, so you’ve spent hours crafting the perfect Search campaign. Exact-match keywords? Check. Brilliant ad copy? Check. Carefully managed bids and schedules? Check. And then… You notice PMax quietly swooping in, stealing impressions like a clever little sibling. What gives?

Here’s the deal, Google loves Ad Rank. It’s not about who you are or how meticulous your setup is; it’s about the combination of your bid, quality score, and how likely Google thinks your ad will get clicked (aka expected CTR). So even if your Search ad is finely tuned, PMax can elbow in if its AI thinks it can get more clicks or conversions. Basically, the robot sometimes thinks it’s smarter than you.

But there’s more, eligibility gaps. If your Search campaign has tight geographic targeting, strict ad schedules, or a budget cap, some queries simply can’t be served. Enter PMax, filling those gaps and picking up traffic your Search campaign can’t touch. It’s like your autopilot co-pilot saying, “Don’t worry, I’ve got this slot.”

Then there’s Search Themes, PMax’s way of targeting broad intent clusters. If your Search campaign is using broad or phrase match keywords, PMax often overlaps and even wins impressions, not because it’s better, but because it’s casting a wider net.

And here’s a funny one, misspellings. PMax sometimes decides that “Yoast SE0” or “Performance Maxk” deserve ads, even if your Search campaigns have blocked those variants. Many advertisers now add common misspellings as exact-match keywords just to wrestle back control.

Human control vs. machine automation

So, you’re in your campaign war room with a cup of coffee, and PMax strolls in like that overconfident intern who “knows everything.” It’s fast, it’s everywhere, it’s trying to take over. You’ve got Search campaigns, your meticulously built fortress. Exact-match keywords, negative keywords, ad copy carefully tested, bids dialed in, you sweat the small stuff because you know it makes a difference.

PMax, on the other hand? It doesn’t care about your painstaking work. It just sees assets, feeds, goals, and thinks: “I got this.” It runs across Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, Discover, Shopping, you name it. And while it can reach a massive audience, sometimes it grabs traffic that was supposed to be yours.

But don’t panic. That’s where your human edge comes in. Search is surgical. You control:

~ Which queries trigger your ads?

~ How your brand message shows up.

~ The audience that truly matters for conversions.

To take the analogy further, PMax is like the scout. It can roam wide, test waters, and explore new traffic sources. Search is the sniper—it’s precise, calculated, and deadly where it counts.

The secret sauce to success? Don’t pit them against each other. 

Let Search own the high-intent, exact-match queries. Let PMax roam, explore, and pick up incremental traffic across channels. Together, they complement each other: your sniper lands the critical hits, and your scout expands your reach without stealing your kills.

Strategies to minimize cannibalization

Okay, now we’re getting into the good stuff, the playbook!

If you’ve noticed your Search campaigns and PMax are occasionally stepping on each other’s toes, don’t worry. You can fix it without feeling like you’re micromanaging every click. Here’s how the pros do it:

1. Add priority keywords as exact matches

Think of your high-performing queries as VIP guests at your campaign party. Don’t let PMax accidentally steal the spotlight. Regularly check PMax search term reports. If you see converting queries slipping through PMax instead of landing in your Search campaign, add them as exact-match keywords, even misspellings. Yes, Google sometimes treats typos as entirely separate traffic, so claim those too. Your Search campaign should always be the go-to for your most valuable terms.

2. Align campaign settings

Imagine your campaigns as synchronized swimmers; if one goes rogue, the whole performance looks messy. Make sure Search and PMax campaigns share the same:

~ Geographic targeting

~ Budget pacing

~ Ad scheduling

~ Bid strategies (CPA, tROAS, whatever you’re using)

Also, skip those auto-apply “helpful” Google recommendations that might remove keywords or change settings behind your back. You want harmony, not hidden competition.

3. Remove Search themes in PMax

PMax’s Search Themes are brilliant for discovering new audiences, but if you want your high-intent Search campaigns to dominate, consider removing overlapping themes from PMax. Think of it like telling your scout: “Explore new areas, but don’t compete with the sniper on the front line.”

4. Monitor spend and impression share

Keep an eye on who’s getting what. Tools like Adalysis let you see exactly how PMax is spending across Search, Shopping, and Display. 

If PMax is hogging impressions on queries your Search campaigns should own, it’s time to tweak budgets or restructure. This is less micromanagement, more strategic oversight.

5. Apply a combined strategy

Here’s the elegant part, as discussed in the previous section, let each campaign do what it does best.

~ Search: High-intent, branded, exact-match queries, for surgical precision.

~ PMax: Upper-funnel prospecting, discovery, retargeting, multi-channel reach, for scale and automation.

When aligned, they aren’t competitors, they’re teammates. You get fewer wasted clicks, higher-quality traffic, and better conversion efficiency.

PS: We got you a fun freebie! Here’s an absolutely free and easy-to-use, overlap audit tool ~ Google Ads & PMax Overlap Audit Tool.xlsx

A ready reference checklist for campaign harmony

You can think of this as your SEM survival kit; you know everything you need to keep PMax and Search campaigns playing nicely together. No fluff, just real, actionable moves:

Key takeaways

On that note, you might want to explore and play around with Google’s Ad Score. We got a fun read for you to enjoy next ~ Google Ads Quality Score Explained: How to Check, Fix & Optimize It.