Google Ads Search vs Performance Max in 2026: When to Use Each

Renzo Orellana
January 13, 2026

If you're running Google Ads in 2026, you've probably noticed that Google keeps pushing Performance Max campaigns. Your agency might be recommending it. Your competitor might be using it. But here's what nobody's telling you: Performance Max isn't always the right choice, and Search campaigns aren't dead.

Google Ads Search vs Performance Max in 2026: When to Use Each

Most Connecticut businesses are asking the wrong question about Google Ads.

It's not "Should I use Search or Performance Max?" It's "When should I use each—and how do I know?"

If you're running Google Ads in 2026, you've probably noticed that Google keeps pushing Performance Max campaigns. Your agency might be recommending it. Your competitor might be using it. But here's what nobody's telling you: Performance Max isn't always the right choice, and Search campaigns aren't dead.

I run RDC Group, a digital consulting firm that helps Connecticut businesses own their marketing automation instead of paying agencies forever. Over the past year, we've managed both Search and Performance Max campaigns for businesses spending $3,000 to $50,000 monthly on Google Ads. We've seen which works when, and more importantly, why.

In this guide, you'll learn:

Let's start with what actually matters.

What Search and Performance Max Actually Do (The Truth)

Google's marketing materials make both campaign types sound amazing. But after managing millions in ad spend across Connecticut businesses, here's what each actually delivers.

Search Campaigns: Maximum Control, Manual Work

Search campaigns show your ads when people search specific keywords on Google Search.

What you control:

What you see:

The reality: You know exactly what's happening, but you need to actively manage it. If you (or your agency) ignore the account for two weeks, performance drops.

Connecticut businesses that succeed with Search campaigns typically:

Performance Max: Automation Over Everything, Limited Visibility

Performance Max campaigns use Google's AI to show ads across Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, and Discover—all in one campaign.

What you control:

What you DON'T control:

What you see:

The reality: Google's AI runs your campaign. You provide assets and goals, then hope it works. You can't see what's actually happening under the hood.

Performance Max works well for Connecticut businesses that:

According to Google's Performance Max documentation, the algorithm optimizes toward your conversion goals across all Google properties. But that optimization requires data—and time.

The Connecticut Context: What We've Learned Managing Both

Here's what we've seen managing both campaign types for Connecticut businesses across different industries and budgets.

Search Campaigns Work When:

1. You know exactly what people search for

A Stamford-based personal injury law firm we work with spends $8,000/month on Search campaigns targeting keywords like:

These searches have clear intent. Someone searching these terms needs a lawyer right now. Search campaigns capture that exact moment.

Performance Max would waste budget showing these ads on YouTube or Gmail to people not actively looking for a lawyer.

2. You need to exclude competitors or specific terms

A Hartford dental practice was getting clicks from people searching "dental school Hartford" and "dental assistant jobs Connecticut"—zero conversion intent.

With Search campaigns, we added negative keywords immediately. Performance Max doesn't give you that control. You'd waste budget for weeks while the algorithm "learns" those searches don't convert.

3. Your industry has high cost-per-click

Legal, dental, and home services in Connecticut often see $20-150 per click. At those prices, you need to control exactly which searches trigger ads.

A New Haven HVAC company paying $45 per click can't afford to let Google's algorithm "experiment" with their budget across Display and YouTube placements that might never convert.

4. You have local service area restrictions

Many Connecticut service businesses serve specific towns or counties. A plumber in Fairfield County doesn't want calls from New London County—it's 90 minutes away.

Search campaigns let you set exact geographic boundaries. Performance Max geographic targeting is less precise, especially when your ads show on YouTube or Display networks where location signals are weaker.

Performance Max Works When:

1. You sell products online (ecommerce)

An ecommerce brand selling handcrafted home goods saw Performance Max outperform their Search campaigns by 140% ROAS.

Why? Performance Max could show:

The algorithm found customers they didn't know existed. Their Search campaigns only captured people searching "handmade wooden bowls"—Performance Max found people who didn't know they wanted wooden bowls yet.

This aligns with what we covered in our ChatGPT Shopping article—ecommerce needs to capture intent at multiple touchpoints, not just direct searches.

2. You have limited time to manage campaigns

A Westport-based consultant spending $3,000/month didn't want to check Google Ads daily. Performance Max requires 2-3 hours of setup, then mostly runs itself.

We check it weekly for major issues, adjust budget monthly, and refresh assets quarterly. That's it. A Search campaign would need daily keyword bid adjustments to maintain performance.

3. You want to test new customer segments

A Norwalk fitness studio thought their customers were primarily 25-35-year-old women. Performance Max revealed their best converters were actually 40-55-year-old women and 30-40-year-old men—segments they'd never targeted.

The algorithm found these audiences by testing ads across Display, YouTube, and Discovery. A Search campaign would have missed them entirely because they weren't searching "personal training Norwalk CT."

4. Your business has strong visual appeal

A boutique hotel in Mystic uses Performance Max because their property photographs beautifully. The algorithm shows these images across:

Search campaigns would only show text ads. Performance Max leverages their visual assets everywhere.

The Decision Framework: Which Should You Use?

Here's the framework we use with Connecticut clients to decide between Search, Performance Max, or both.

Start with These Four Questions:

Question 1: Do you know exactly what your customers search for?

If you can list 20+ high-intent keywords that your customers definitely search, Search campaigns work well. If you're guessing at keywords or your product/service doesn't have clear search intent, Performance Max will find customers you didn't know existed.

Question 2: What's your monthly ad budget?

Performance Max algorithms need volume to optimize. Under $2,000/month, you won't generate enough conversions for the algorithm to learn effectively.

Question 3: How much time can you dedicate to management?

Be honest here. If you or your team can't check campaigns 2-3 times weekly, Search campaigns will underperform. Performance Max requires far less active management.

Question 4: Is your business visual or service-based?

If you can showcase your product/service in compelling images or videos, Performance Max will leverage those assets everywhere. If you're selling services where visuals don't matter much, Search campaigns' text ads work fine.

The Hybrid Strategy: When to Run Both

Many Connecticut businesses get the best results running both campaign types. Here's when that makes sense and how to structure it.

Best candidates for hybrid strategy:

How we structure hybrid campaigns:

For a $10,000/month budget:

As Performance Max proves itself (typically 60-90 days), we might shift to 60/40 or even 50/50.

Real Example - Hartford Marketing Agency:

Client: B2B marketing agency spending $12,000/month on Google Ads

What we did:

The hybrid strategy gave them the control of Search campaigns plus the discovery power of Performance Max.

Industry-Specific Recommendations for Connecticut Businesses

Every industry has different needs. Here's what we recommend based on what we've seen work (and fail) in Connecticut.

Dental Practices, Medical Offices, Healthcare

Recommendation: Start with Search, add Performance Max after 90 days

Why Search first:

Example: A West Hartford dental practice started with $4,000/month on Search campaigns targeting 35 high-intent keywords. After three months of consistent performance (2.8X ROAS), we added $1,500/month Performance Max.

Performance Max discovered an unexpected audience: parents searching for "children's dentist" who then booked cleanings for themselves too. Search campaigns had only targeted adult dental services.

When to add Performance Max:

HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical, Home Services

Recommendation: Primarily Search, test Performance Max seasonally

Why Search dominates:

Example: A Fairfield County HVAC company runs $8,000/month in Search campaigns. During peak heating season (November-February), they add $2,000/month Performance Max with seasonal creative showcasing emergency heating repair.

Performance Max helped them capture homeowners researching "heating system replacement" on YouTube and Display network before the emergency happened—generating $45,000 in new system sales.

Budget split recommendation:

Law Firms, Legal Services

Recommendation: Search campaigns only (Performance Max rarely works)

Why Performance Max fails for legal:

Example: A New Haven personal injury firm tried Performance Max with $5,000/month budget. After 60 days:

Exception: If you're running brand awareness campaigns with budgets over $20,000/month, Performance Max can work for top-of-funnel visibility while Search handles conversions.

Ecommerce, Retail, Product-Based Businesses

Recommendation: Start with Performance Max, add Search for branded terms

Why Performance Max wins:

Example: A Connecticut-based artisan goods company switched from Search to Performance Max:

We covered similar dynamics in our article on Google Ads automation—ecommerce benefits most from AI-powered campaign types.

Budget split recommendation:

B2B Services, Consultants, Professional Services

Recommendation: Hybrid from day one (60/40 Search to Performance Max)

Why hybrid works:

Example: A Stamford-based cybersecurity consultant struggled with Search-only campaigns. Decision-makers weren't searching "cybersecurity consultant"—they were researching specific problems.

Hybrid approach:

Result: 3.5X more qualified leads, 40% lower cost per lead.

Budget split recommendation:

Common Mistakes Connecticut Businesses Make

After managing both campaign types across dozens of Connecticut businesses, here are the mistakes we see repeatedly.

Mistake #1: Running Performance Max Without Proper Conversion Tracking

Performance Max optimizes toward conversions. If your conversion tracking is broken or tracking the wrong things, the algorithm optimizes toward garbage.

We took over a Norwalk ecommerce account spending $6,000/month on Performance Max with terrible results. The problem? Conversion tracking was counting every page view as a "conversion" instead of actual purchases.

The algorithm had optimized for clicks, not sales. Once we fixed tracking, performance improved 4X within 30 days.

How to avoid this: Before launching Performance Max, verify that:

According to Google's conversion tracking guide, proper conversion setup is critical for Performance Max success.

Mistake #2: Starting Performance Max with Terrible Creative Assets

Performance Max needs quality assets to work. We've seen businesses launch Performance Max with:

The algorithm can only work with what you give it. Bad creative = bad performance across all placements.

How to avoid this:

If you don't have good creative, stick with Search campaigns until you do.

Mistake #3: Giving Up on Performance Max After 2 Weeks

We get calls from frustrated business owners: "We tried Performance Max for two weeks and it's not working!"

Performance Max algorithms need 30-60 days to learn and optimize. Google states the learning period is typically 2-4 weeks minimum.

During the learning period:

How to avoid this:

Mistake #4: Not Using Negative Keywords in Search Campaigns

Search campaigns give you control—but only if you use it.

A Hartford home services company was getting 40+ clicks per day on Search campaigns with almost no conversions. We checked their search terms report and found:

We added 150+ negative keywords. Cost per conversion dropped 52% immediately.

How to avoid this:

Mistake #5: Setting Identical Budgets for Search and Performance Max

Performance Max and Search campaigns have different learning curves and efficiency points.

A mistake we see: Splitting $6,000 budget exactly 50/50 ($3,000 each) from day one.

Better approach:

You can't know the right split until you have data from both campaign types running for at least 60 days.

How to Switch Campaign Types (Without Destroying Performance)

Switching from Search to Performance Max (or vice versa) isn't as simple as pausing one and launching the other. Here's how to transition properly.

Moving from Search to Performance Max

Don't: Pause all Search campaigns and launch Performance Max with full budget Do: Gradual 90-day transition

Month 1:

Month 2:

Month 3:

Example: A New Haven ecommerce store did this transition over 90 days, moving from 100% Search to 30% Search, 70% Performance Max. Revenue increased 42% during the transition because they maintained visibility throughout.

Moving from Performance Max to Search

This is less common, but happens when businesses want more control.

Month 1:

Month 2:

Month 3:

Example: A Stamford law firm moved from Performance Max to Search when they realized 90% of conversions came from Search placements anyway. They kept 20% in Performance Max for brand awareness, focused 80% on Search with tight keyword control.

Connecticut-Specific Considerations

Running Google Ads in Connecticut has unique dynamics that affect campaign type decisions.

Geographic Competition Levels

Fairfield County (Stamford, Greenwich, Norwalk, Westport):

Hartford County:

New Haven County:

Eastern Connecticut (New London, Windham Counties):

Seasonal Factors for Connecticut Businesses

October-December (Holiday Season):

January-March (Tax Season, New Year):

April-September (Summer Season):

Multi-Location Connecticut Businesses

If you operate in multiple Connecticut cities, campaign structure matters.

Option 1: Separate campaigns per location

Option 2: Statewide campaigns with location assets

Example: A 5-location dental practice tried separate Performance Max campaigns per office. Performance suffered because each campaign had insufficient conversion data. We consolidated to one statewide Performance Max campaign with location extensions—performance improved 3X.

The RDC Group Approach: Why We Don't Push One or The Other

Most agencies push whatever Google is promoting this quarter. In 2026, that means Performance Max.

But here's the truth: The right campaign type depends on your business, not what Google wants.

At RDC Group, we help Connecticut businesses:

We covered our full automation approach in our comprehensive Google Ads automation guide, but the key principle is simple: You should own your marketing automation, not rent it from agencies.

When You Should Work with Us

You're a good fit for RDC Group if:

You're NOT a good fit if:

Our Process

Phase 1 (Week 1-2): Audit & Setup

Phase 2 (Week 3-12): Optimization & Training

Phase 3 (Ongoing): Autonomous Management

Cost: One-time setup fee ($3,000-5,000 depending on complexity), then optional quarterly strategy sessions ($500).

Compare that to agency fees: $2,000-5,000 every single month, forever.

Book a free audit call: calendly.com/renzo-consulting/rdcg-client

Action Plan: What to Do This Week

Don't overthink this. Here's your step-by-step plan based on where you are now.

If You're Running Search Campaigns Only

This week:

  1. Check your search terms report—identify which keywords actually convert
  2. Calculate your current ROAS or cost per conversion
  3. Review your monthly ad spend and management time commitment

If spending $5,000+/month and have 3+ hours weekly for management:

If spending under $5,000/month or limited time:

If You're Running Performance Max Only

This week:

  1. Verify your conversion tracking is correct
  2. Review asset performance—remove "Low" rated assets
  3. Check placement reports (if available) to see where conversions come from

If 80%+ of conversions come from Search placements:

If conversions come from multiple placements fairly evenly:

If You're Not Running Google Ads Yet

This week:

  1. Determine if your business has clear search intent (people searching for what you offer)
  2. Set aside test budget: Minimum $2,000-3,000/month for 90 days
  3. Get conversion tracking set up first (before launching any campaigns)

Start with:

If You're Working with an Agency Currently

This week:

  1. Ask your agency: "What percentage of my budget is in Search vs Performance Max and why?"
  2. Request a breakdown showing performance of each campaign type
  3. Ask to see placement performance for Performance Max

Red flags:

If you see these red flags, book a free audit with us. We'll review your current setup and show you exactly what's working (and what's not).

The Bottom Line: Search vs Performance Max in 2026

There's no universal answer. The right choice depends on:

Most Connecticut businesses should:

Don't:

Do:

If you're tired of paying agencies $2,000-5,000/month for work that can be automated, let's talk. We'll show you exactly how to take control of your Google Ads—whether that means Search, Performance Max, or both.

About RDC Group

We help Connecticut businesses cut marketing costs by 40-70% by owning their automation instead of renting agency access. Our clients typically save $24,000 - $60,000 annually while improving results.

Contact:

Website: rdcgroup.co

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