Search Themes in Performance Max

Standard search campaigns use keywords with match types to decide exactly which searches trigger an ad. Performance Max doesn't work that way at all — instead, you provide up to 50 "search themes" per asset group, which are phrases describing what customers search for. These act as a looser signal to help the system's own targeting, not a hard rule the way a keyword match is.

This is a common trap for anyone used to running Search campaigns: search themes are context, not targeting keywords, so they don't behave like exact-match or phrase-match keywords. If you also run a Search campaign, an exact-match keyword there still takes priority over Performance Max for the same query — the two aren't competing on equal footing.

How is Performance Max deciding which searches trigger my ads if there are no keywords?

Ask datanephew to pull up the search themes and audience signals set on your asset group — that's the closest thing Performance Max has to keyword targeting, though it's treated as a hint rather than a strict rule.

My Search campaign and Performance Max both seem to target the same searches — which one wins?

An exact-match keyword in a Search campaign takes priority over Performance Max for that same query. Ask datanephew to check your Search campaign's keyword coverage if you want to understand the overlap.