How to Set Up and Organise Performance Max Asset Groups

The short answer

Performance Max asset groups should be organised around products, audiences, creative themes, and reporting needs that actually belong together.

Do not create one giant asset group for the whole catalogue unless the business is genuinely simple. Do not create dozens of tiny asset groups without enough data either. The best structure gives Google useful inputs while giving you enough clarity to manage performance.

What asset groups do

An asset group contains:

• Products or listing groups
• Headlines
• Long headlines
• Descriptions
• Images
• Logos
• Videos
• Audience signals
• Final URL settings or URL expansion rules

Think of an asset group as a themed package. It tells PMax which products, creative, and signals belong together.

When one asset group is enough

One asset group can work when:

• The catalogue is small
• Products serve the same audience
• Margins are similar
• Messaging is similar
• Conversion volume is low
• You do not need category-level control yet

This is often fine for early testing. The risk is that performance becomes hard to diagnose as the account grows.

When to split asset groups

Split asset groups when products differ in ways that affect performance.

Good reasons:

• Different product categories
• Different audience intent
• Different margins
• Different price points
• Different creative angles
• Different seasonality
• Different markets
• Different stock positions

Bad reasons:

• Splitting because it feels tidy
• Creating asset groups with too little data
• Duplicating the same assets across every group
• Splitting without different products or messaging

Structure should make decisions easier, not just make the account look busier.

Structure by product category

This is the most common ecommerce approach.

Example:

Asset group	Products	Creative angle
Running shoes	Running shoe SKUs	Performance, cushioning, speed
Walking shoes	Walking shoe SKUs	Comfort, support, durability
Trail shoes	Trail shoe SKUs	Grip, terrain, weather

This works because products, audiences, and messaging are different.

Structure by margin

Margin-based structure helps when revenue and profit tell different stories.

Example:

• High-margin bestsellers
• Low-margin volume products
• Clearance products
• New launches

This prevents low-margin products from quietly absorbing budget under the same target as more profitable products.

Structure by customer intent

Some catalogues have different intent groups.

Example:

• Entry-level products
• Premium products
• Replacement products
• Gift products
• Subscription products

Each group may need different messaging and a different performance target.

Structure by seasonality

Seasonal products often need their own logic.

Use separate asset groups or campaigns when:

• Demand spikes at specific times
• Creative changes seasonally
• Stock moves quickly
• Promotions matter
• Budget needs temporary protection

Seasonal products can distort a broad evergreen asset group.

How to use audience signals

Audience signals should match the asset group.

Useful examples:

• Purchasers of similar products
• Category page visitors
• Cart abandoners
• Search themes related to that category
• High-value customer lists
• Competitor or interest signals

Do not use the exact same generic audience signal everywhere unless the catalogue really shares one audience.

Creative asset rules

Creative should match the products.

For each asset group, aim for:

• Category-specific headlines
• Product-aware descriptions
• Images that reflect the group
• Video where possible
• Clear offer messaging
• Brand consistency

Avoid uploading random generic assets just to complete the setup. Low-quality assets can create weak placements.

Listing group rules

Listing groups should match the asset group strategy.

Check:

• Are the right products included?
• Are poor-fit products excluded?
• Are low-margin products separated?
• Are out-of-season products removed?
• Are bestsellers protected?
• Are new products isolated for testing?

Asset group structure without listing group discipline is mostly cosmetic.

Common mistakes

Avoid:

• One asset group for a complex catalogue
• Too many asset groups with too little data
• Same creative in every group
• Mixed products with different margins
• No product exclusions
• No naming convention
• No reporting by asset group and product group

The goal is clarity and better input quality.

A practical naming convention

Use names that explain the logic.

Examples:

• PMax | UK | Running Shoes | Core
• PMax | UK | Clearance | Low Margin
• PMax | US | Premium Skincare | New Customers
• PMax | UK | Bestsellers | High Margin

Good naming makes audits and reporting faster.