One of the most common mistakes in Google Ads is expecting a single campaign type to carry the entire account.
Search should drive all conversions.
Performance Max should replace everything.
Shopping should do both demand and efficiency.
That expectation usually leads to frustration, constant changes, and underwhelming results. Google Ads works best when campaign types are paired intentionally, each doing a specific job.
Why no single campaign type can do it all
Each campaign type is built with a different purpose in mind. They use different signals, operate on different timelines, and respond to different inputs.
Trying to force one campaign to:
- Capture demand
- Create demand
- Test messaging
- Control efficiency
- Scale volume
Usually results in none of those being done particularly well. When everything is optimised for everything, clarity disappears.
The role of Search: capturing known intent
Search campaigns are strongest when there is clear, existing demand.
They work best for:
- High-intent queries
- Branded and non-branded capture
- Direct response goals
- Clear intent-to-action paths
Search is reactive by nature. It responds to what people are already looking for. It doesn’t create demand. It captures it.
Expecting Search to scale beyond available intent leads to rising costs and diminishing returns.
The role of upper- and mid-funnel campaigns: shaping demand
Campaign types like Performance Max, Demand Gen, YouTube, and Display operate differently.
They’re designed to:
- Expand reach
- Introduce new audiences
- Reinforce messaging
- Influence consideration over time
These campaigns work on longer feedback loops. They rely on creative, context, and repetition.
They’re not meant to replace Search. They’re meant to support it by increasing the pool of future demand.
Why the “power pair” works
The strongest Google Ads accounts usually rely on a pairing, not a single hero campaign.
That pairing typically looks like:
- Search to capture existing intent
- Another campaign type to build or support future intent
This creates balance.
Search benefits from stronger demand signals. Upper- and mid-funnel campaigns benefit from clearer conversion feedback.
Each campaign type feeds the other.
What goes wrong when roles aren’t clear
Most performance issues come from role confusion.
This often shows up as:
- Expecting Performance Max to behave like Search
- Judging upper-funnel campaigns on last-click CPA
- Forcing Search to scale beyond demand
- Constantly switching strategies when results fluctuate
When campaigns are judged against the wrong expectations, good setups get broken.
How to think about pairing campaign types
Instead of asking which campaign type is “best,” ask:
- What role does this campaign play?
- What signal is it optimised around?
- What time horizon should I judge it on?
A healthy account usually has:
- Clear roles for each campaign type
- Different success metrics by role
- Patience where learning is required
- Intervention only when signals are clear
Pairing isn’t about complexity. It’s about clarity.
Common pairings that work well
While every account is different, common effective pairings include:
- Search + Performance Max
- Search + Demand Gen
- Search + YouTube
- Shopping + Performance Max
The key isn’t the pairing itself. It’s ensuring each campaign is judged by what it’s designed to do.
TL;DR
No Google Ads campaign type is designed to do everything.
Performance improves when each campaign has a clear role and works alongside others instead of trying to replace them.
Search captures demand. Other campaign types help create or shape it.
When those roles are paired intentionally, results stabilise and scale more naturally.
That’s the real power pair.