Microsoft Advertising is rolling out an important update the week of May 18 that changes how Performance Max and Standard Shopping campaigns compete in the auction.
Until now, Performance Max was automatically prioritized over Standard Shopping when both targeted the same products. With this change, that priority is removed.
The campaign with the highest Ad Rank will now serve, just like any other campaign types.
This update gives advertisers more flexibility in testing and managing campaigns. Microsoft expects this to have a neutral or positive impact at the account level.
No action is required, but if you want more control over campaign spend, it’s a good moment to:
– Review budget allocation across campaign types
– Double-check that Performance Max campaigns are set up with best practices (assets, URL expansion, audience signals)
According to Microsoft, Performance Max campaigns have outperformed Standard Shopping with a 39% increase in conversion rate and 7.6% more conversions overall.
Thanks to Arpan Banerjee for sharing the update.
