Meta Advantage+ and Google Performance Max — what actually works in 2026

Automated campaign types removed most of the levers marketers used to pull. What is left matters more, not less: the inputs. Creative, feed quality, conversion signal and exclusions are now the entire job.

Feed the signal, not the settings

Send the algorithm your highest-value conversion, not a form fill. If your CRM knows which leads close, push that back as an offline conversion. A campaign optimising toward qualified revenue behaves completely differently from one optimising toward clicks on a thank-you page.

Creative volume is the new targeting

With audience controls gone, creative is how you target. Ship variations across format, hook and message angle — not colour swaps. Ten genuinely different concepts beat fifty cosmetic variants every time.

Hard-code the guardrails

Brand exclusions, placement exclusions, and negative keyword lists at account level. Without them, a meaningful share of budget quietly goes to traffic you would never have bought manually.

Where humans still win

Offer design, landing page relevance, and knowing when to turn a campaign off. No automation will tell you your positioning is wrong.