Google has added more asset testing options for Performance Max, giving advertisers a clearer way to compare the effect of creative changes inside automated campaigns. Search Engine Land reported the update on 8 June 2026, describing new tools intended to help advertisers evaluate assets and make better optimisation decisions.
The important point for local advertisers is not that every Performance Max campaign suddenly needs a new experiment. It is that Google is continuing to make creative quality, testing discipline and measurement more central to paid search performance. For businesses in Bath, Bristol, Somerset, Wiltshire, Dorset and Gloucestershire, that should prompt a practical check of how campaigns are being fed, measured and judged.
Google’s own help documentation for Performance Max asset testing says the feature is designed to measure how adding or changing assets affects campaign performance. In some cases, it can test adding text, image and video assets to a feed-only campaign. In others, it can isolate the effect of video assets by comparing traffic with and without those videos.
That sounds technical, but the local business question is simple: are your ads being tested against meaningful business outcomes, or are they just being refreshed because the campaign looks stale?
Why this matters for local advertisers
Performance Max campaigns can reach people across several Google placements, including Search, Shopping, YouTube, Discover, Gmail and Maps. That breadth is useful, but it also means a single weak set of images, headlines or videos can affect how a business appears in many different contexts.
A local retailer, hotel, professional service firm or training provider might already be relying on Performance Max for leads or sales without having a clean view of which creative assets are helping. If new asset experiments make that easier to test, they are worth understanding. But they still need careful setup, enough conversion data and a clear idea of what success means.
For many smaller advertisers, the biggest risk is not a lack of experimentation. It is testing too casually. Changing assets mid-test, judging results before there is enough data, or comparing campaigns with poor conversion tracking can produce confident-looking reports that do not actually prove much.
What to check before testing assets
Start with conversion tracking. If a campaign is optimising towards weak signals, such as low-value button clicks or accidental form starts, better creative may simply help Google find more of the wrong behaviour. Before running an asset test, check that primary conversions reflect real enquiries, bookings, sales or other outcomes that matter to the business.
Next, review the assets themselves. Performance Max needs enough useful material to assemble ads across different formats. That usually means clear product or service images, concise headlines, useful descriptions, and video where appropriate. For a Bath or South West business, local proof can also matter: real premises, real work, recognisable service areas and specific customer needs often make stronger assets than generic stock imagery.
Then decide what the experiment is trying to learn. A sensible test might ask whether adding video improves lead quality, whether more specific service imagery performs better than broad brand imagery, or whether a feed-only campaign benefits from richer supporting assets. A vague test, such as “try some new creatives”, is harder to interpret.
Do not let automation hide the basics
Google’s asset testing documentation notes that Performance Max asset experiments can split traffic within a single campaign, rather than requiring two separate campaigns. That may reduce disruption, but it does not remove the need for judgement. The campaign still needs stable settings, sensible budgets and a fair test window.
It is also worth checking where Performance Max sits within the wider account. If brand search, standard search campaigns, remarketing, shopping feeds and local landing pages are all pulling in different directions, an asset test may only show part of the problem. A useful search marketing review looks at the whole system, not just the experiment screen.
For businesses already investing in Google Ads in Bath or across the South West, this update is a reminder to keep creative, data and landing pages connected. A stronger image or video can help, but only if the page behind the ad answers the searcher’s question and makes the next step obvious.
A calm next step
If you are running Performance Max now, do not rush to rebuild everything. Check whether your campaign has enough reliable conversion data, whether assets are grouped around clear services or products, and whether recent changes have been recorded well enough to explain performance shifts.
If those basics are in place, asset testing could become a useful way to improve campaigns without relying on guesswork. If they are not, fix the measurement and message first. The best experiment is one that tells you something you can actually use.
