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    Google Performance Max gets new customer goals, image controls

    Google's PMax updates include retention goals for lapsed customers, acquisition cost reporting, and automated image enhancements.

    Google Ads introduced customer lifecycle features in Performance Max, which will let you bid more aggressively for lapsed customers and track acquisition costs more precisely. PMax is also getting new image tools to boost creative flexibility.

    Customer Lifecycle management expands. Retention goals are now widely available, giving you the power to bid more strategically for lapsed users.

    • For former customers: You can identify high-value former customers and prioritize who sees your ads and when.
    • For new customer acquisition: In “new customer only” and “new customer value” modes, you will see a dedicated column in campaign reporting that displays customer acquisition cost.

    Enhanced image controls. Two new image features aim to improve ad creative variety:

    • Landing page images: Automatically sources images from your landing pages to diversify your ad creative.
    • Image enhancements: Smart cropping creates more image versions of existing images to access more ad inventory.
    Screenshot 2025 04 10 At 16.39.24
    Screenshot 2025 04 10 At 16.40.52

    Google plans to add more image enhancement options in the future, including uncropping and animation features.

    Why we care. These improvements address key advertiser concerns around control, reporting, and creative assets while maintaining the AI-powered efficiency that can make Performance Max valuable. The focus on customer lifecycle management aligns with increasing advertiser interest in maximizing customer lifetime value rather than just acquisition metrics.


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    About the Author

    Anu Adegbola

    Anu Adegbola

    Anu Adegbola has been Paid Media Editor of Search Engine Land since 2024. She covers paid search, paid social, retail media, video and more.

    In 2008, Anu started her career delivering digital marketing campaigns (mostly but not exclusively Paid Search) by building strategies, maximising ROI, automating repetitive processes and bringing efficiency from every part of marketing departments through inspiring leadership both on agency, client and marketing tech side. Outside editing Search Engine Land article she is the founder of PPC networking event - PPC Live and host of weekly podcast PPC Live The Podcast.
    She is also an international speaker with some of the stages she has presented on being SMX (US, UK, Munich, Berlin), Friends of Search (Amsterdam, NL), brightonSEO, The Marketing Meetup, HeroConf (PPC Hero), SearchLove, BiddableWorld, SESLondon, PPC Chat Live, AdWorld Experience (Bologna, IT) and more.