How to improve Google Ad Grants performance with Performance Max

Why some Google Ad Grants accounts are under pressure

Many accounts have historically relied on traditional keyword-led search campaigns. That approach can still work well, but search behaviour has changed.

Google now answers more informational queries directly within results pages through features such as AI Overviews. For some users, that removes the need to click through to a website.

For charities, especially those that rely on awareness or information-led traffic, this creates three common challenges.

Fewer clicks

If users get answers directly in search results, fewer may visit your website.

This can affect charities that rely on users researching topics, services or support needs before taking action.

Lower spend utilisation

Google Ad Grants spend is driven by clicks. If click volume falls, accounts can struggle to use more of the available monthly grant.

If your account used to spend more consistently than it does today, changing search behaviour may be part of the reason.

Slower growth in conversions

Less traffic can mean fewer opportunities for donations, sign-ups, referrals, enquiries or other meaningful actions on your website.

This does not mean Google Ad Grants no longer work. It means many accounts need to evolve. Google Ad Grants remain highly effective for many charities, but increasingly require different campaign structures and optimisation approaches than they did a few years ago.

What Performance Max is, and how it can help

Performance Max is a Google Ads campaign type that uses automation and audience signals to help organisations reach people across Google channels, rather than relying on keywords alone.

For charities, this can help in three important ways.

Expand reach beyond traditional search

Performance Max can open up new sources of relevant traffic across Google inventory, helping accounts that have become too reliant on traditional search demand.

Improve budget utilisation

Some charities struggle to use the grant available each month. Performance Max can help unlock more scale where demand exists.

Increase conversions

When conversion tracking is in place, Performance Max can optimise towards meaningful actions such as donations, registrations or enquiries.

When charities should consider testing Performance Max

Performance Max may be worth exploring if your charity is experiencing any of the following:

• your account regularly underspends the monthly grant
• clicks have declined year-on-year
• conversions have plateaued
• you rely heavily on standard search campaigns
• you have accurate conversion tracking in place and want to scale results

For many charities, the strongest approach is not replacing search campaigns entirely, but testing Performance Max alongside them.

Case study: Practical Action

Practical Action faced a common challenge: a Google Ad Grants account with clear growth potential, but limited ability to scale using traditional search campaigns alone.

Like many charities, the account relied heavily on keyword-led activity. As search behaviour shifted, it became harder to reach enough relevant users through search campaigns alone and fully utilise the available grant budget.

Performance Max introduced a broader way to reach relevant audiences. Instead of relying solely on keywords, it used intent signals and automation to find users across Google’s wider inventory, helping unlock new sources of demand.

The impact:

• March spend increased from $1,618 in 2025 to $7,513 in 2026
• Conversions increased by 65% across the three months following launch

The challenge wasn’t a lack of audience interest. Traditional search campaigns were limiting how effectively Practical Action could reach people and use the available grant budget.

By expanding beyond keyword-led activity, Performance Max helped the charity reach more relevant users and make better use of the available grant budget.

What good Performance Max setup looks like

Performance Max can be powerful, and even if your Ad Grants budget is already fully utilised, it may still help improve performance if traffic quality has weakened or conversions have started to plateau. But it is not a set-and-forget solution.

Strong results usually depend on:

• accurate conversion tracking
• clear goals and success metrics
• high-quality creative assets
• landing pages aligned to user intent
• sensible exclusions and controls
• regular optimisation and reporting

Without those foundations in place, automation has less to work with.

Five practical next steps for charities

If your Google Ad Grants account is struggling to spend its budget, or is seeing a decline in traffic and conversions, here are five sensible next steps:

1. Review year-on-year trends in clicks, spend and conversions
2. Check whether conversion tracking is accurate and meaningful
3. Identify campaigns that have plateaued or declined
4. Test Performance Max alongside existing search campaigns
5. Compare results after a defined learning period, such as six to eight weeks

Google Ad Grants still matter, they just need a refreshed strategy

Google Ad Grants remain a valuable source of traffic and conversions for charities, but the environment around them has changed. As AI reshapes search behaviour, charities that adapt their campaign mix are more likely to keep growing.

Performance Max is not the answer to every challenge. But for many organisations, it is proving to be an effective way to recover clicks, unlock spend and drive stronger outcomes.

We’re working with charities across the sector to improve Ad Grants performance, make better use of available grant funding, and test newer approaches like Performance Max. If you’d like to discuss what we’re seeing across charity accounts, we’d love to hear from you.