Google Ads Campaign Type Breakdowns: What to Use and When (2026 Guide)

If you’ve googled “Google Ads Campaign types” in the last 2 years and different numbers show up, you aren’t imagining it. So far in July 2026 we’ve seen Display sunsetted into Demand Gen, a major campaign type update.

At Pixelstorm, we’ve managed Google Ads for over 15 years and seen it all. This guide covers off the campaign types available in Australia, what to use when, and our professional opinion on what each will deliver.  

How Many Google Ads Campaign Types Are There?

There are six Google Ads campaign types available in Australia as of July 2026. We’ve prepared a chart of what you might have run before and what it’s called now.

Search Campaigns

Search campaigns are keyword-based text ads that appear as “links” on a Google Search Results page when someone searches your target keyword.

Another reason we recommend Search is the wide range of controls. Search campaigns are one of the last remaining campaign types that can be set up with manual settings, where you can choose keywords and controls like setting your own bids, OR automated bidding, where you give Google the control, like most of the other campaign types.

How Search Campaigns Work

• Search Campaigns use keywords that you defined during setup. For a law firm, this could be “best family lawyer in Melbourne” 
• Google will show your “ad” whenever people search for those keywords based on your eligibility to appear in the Auction. This is determined by your bid, Quality Score, Ad Rank, budget, and targeting.
• The higher the intent (and Ad Rank), the more likely your ad is to appear in the Auction. So if you are bidding on “best family lawyer in Melbourne”, you need to ensure your ad copy and landing page both have intent for this keyword.

In our experience, we recommend you start with manual bidding to get an idea of your click cost before transitioning to automated bidding. Use Manual CPC or Maximum Clicks, depending on your business goals and budget.

Who Google Search Ads Are Best Suited For

Google Search Ads are the best option for lead generation businesses like lawyers, plumbers, professional services, and businesses where your customer is going to Google to search for your service. At Pixelstorm, our Google Ads management team typically recommends Search campaigns when you are not a retailer or looking for brand awareness, because it shows your ads to potential customers actively searching for your product or service, without all the bells and whistles of the other campaign types.

When not to use Search campaigns

• You sell via an online store
• You want to show video or image-based ads
• Your goal is to build awareness rather than capture existing demand

Performance Max Campaigns

Performance Max is a multi-channel campaign type that uses Google’s machine learning to decide which channel to show your ad on across the entire Google network, which user to target, and how much to bid. You have no control over which channel your budget will go towards, Google applies a learning phase when you setup the campaign to allow it to test and work out the best way to get results for your account.  

Who Performance Max Campaigns Are Best Suited For

Google is pushing to move most advertisers to Performance Max where you have no control over which channel your money will go towards, but if Google can work it out well, it can be amazing for any business.  Even though Google has introduced more controls for Performance Max in recent years such as campaign-level negative keywords, brand exclusions, and placement exclusion lists, here at Pixelstorm we’ve seen the least wastage and best performance from Performance Max with e-commerce based businesses, because the inventory is best suited to that business, where those asset types (video, search ads, product feed) are most commonly available.

While Performance Max appears ‘easy’ on setup, we recommend getting a free Google Ads audit to see if it’s performing at its best. 

While Google is strongly pushing for Performance Max to be used as the “default” campaign type, it’s not ready yet. Performance Max isn’t necessarily a good idea if you’re a lead generation business. At Pixelstorm, we’ve found that it often generates a lot of wastage for lead generation businesses like trades and professional services. irrelevant clicks and the wrong landing pages. 

Don’t use Performance Max if:

• You want full control over keywords, placements, or bidding.
• You’re not running an online store.
• Your account is brand new with little or no conversion history.
• You only want to advertise on one Google channel.

“For Performance Max to work at its maximum, you need to have at least 50 previous conversions per campaign and allow for the learning phase to complete after each major change.”

Paula Glynn

• LinkedIn

Google Ads Specialist – Pixelstorm

Shopping Campaigns

Shopping campaigns allow you to promote your product in the “Sponsored Products” on Google search results page (or in AI Overviews) and work off a product feed linked from your Google Merchant Centre. Unlike Performance Max, Shopping is exclusively feed based, so if your intent is purely Shopping Ads and sale and like a little control (like the ability to place a manual bid) this is the one for your business.

Who Shopping Ads Are Best Suited For

• Smaller businesses who have a limited budget, but want to appear in Shopping Sponsored posts, without the added bloat of a Performance Max campaign. 
• They want the control of bidding to maintain the budget, and test out if Google Ads can work for their online store.

Shopping campaigns won’t work if:

• You don’t sell physical products.
• Your product feed is incomplete or poorly optimised.

Demand Gen Campaigns (Formerly Discovery)

Source: Search Engine Journal

Demand Gen campaigns are a very top of the funnel campaign type that helps brands (more so than businesses) build interest as you establish a loyal brand position. Previously called Discovery campaigns, the ads themselves are visual and show up on YouTube (Shorts included), Gmail, and Discover, so you’re catching people mid-scroll rather than mid-search. That’s what makes it different from Display and Performance Max, which focus more on reaching people at scale or driving conversions. 

Which Businesses Benefit Most from Demand Gen Campaigns

Big brands, big budgets. Demand Gen is an awareness campaign that can be used for example in campaigns by councils, governments and events that are wanting mass coverage without the primary intent of immediate click through and conversion.. 

Don’t use Demand Gen if: 

• You’re targeting people actively searching for your product.
• You don’t have engaging images or videos.

Video Campaigns (YouTube Ads)

Video campaigns allow you to advertise your products using YouTube and partner websites. If you have good video assets that showcase your products and services, Video campaigns can be a great way to build both awareness and conversions, using brand or product storytelling.

 Which Businesses Benefit Most from Video Campaigns

Here at Pixelstorm, we’ve seen good success with Video campaigns for eCommerce, SAAS products, events and remarketing. 

Video campaigns aren’t ideal if:

• You don’t have quality video assets.
• You’re looking for quick conversions rather than awareness.

App Campaigns

Selling an app and needing more downloads? App campaigns can promote apps across the Search, Play, YouTube and Demand Gen channels, driving clicks to app downloads. 

Which Businesses Benefit Most from App Campaigns

One of the less used Campaign types, App Campaigns are suited to App Developers who want to get in front of potential customers using channels similar to Performance Max for eCommerce businesses. 

Source: Revenue Cat

Don’t use App campaigns if:

• You don’t have a published mobile app.
• Your goal is driving website traffic instead of app installs or engage

AI MAX in Google Ad Campaigns

Is AI Max a separate campaign type?

AI Max is not a separate campaign type. It’s an optional optimisation feature that can expand your campaign reach beyond the existing campaign settings to capture long-tail, conversational queries.. While it was initially launched purely as “AI Max for Search campaigns”, Google has since expanded the AI Max feature set to support Shopping Campaigns.

You choose to toggle this layer on or leave it off on setup. AI Max was introduced to help the shift going forward to conversational search, and is intended to help businesses appear more in AI overviews and AI mode, where the search intent is not as rigid as “Plumber Melbourne” but more “best plumber to fix a leaking tap available after hours.”

Which Google Ads Campaign Type Is Right for My Business?

Choosing the right Google Ads campaign type isn’t really a matter of picking the “best” one. Factors like budgeting will determine whether you can afford the learning phase automated bidding needs before it starts working well. Data maturity, meaning how much conversion history you’ve built up, determines whether Google’s algorithms have enough signal to make good decisions on your behalf. And your goal decides how much control you’re willing to trade for scale. Get any one of these wrong, and even a well-built campaign underperforms. 

Not sure where you land in this matrix? Get a free Google Ads audit and our Google Ads specialists will map it for you.

Here’s a quick flow chart to help you figure out the right campaign type for your business:

Case Study: Harry’s HVAC Repairs

Harry’s HVAC Repairs is a HVAC repair company with 8 years in business and is looking to run Ads in the seasonally low time to bring in customers.

Why Google Ads Search Campaign Fits

Search is the best choice for this business because they are looking to match intent and appear in the Auction when potential customers are searching for their product. They don’t sell online, and they don’t need brand awareness. For a smaller business, using search campaigns also gives the company full control over keywords, ad copy, and bidding. That control matters for a business that already knows what works, not one still trying to get noticed.

Case Study: Sally’s Skincare Business

Profile

Sally has launched a new skincare brand, and wants to run Ads to promote her product. She has strong Google reviews and a good price point.

Why Google Shopping Fits

With a limited budget, Sally can control her bids and not waste on Performance Max when she has no videos or assets to use. She can focus on optimising her product feed on Google Merchant Centre and generating online sales.

Choosing the Right Google Ads Campaign Type for Your Business

Choosing the right Google Ads campaign really comes down to three things: what you’re trying to achieve, your budget, and the type of product you sell. While Google will often push you to build campaign types it “thinks” you need, it’s not always the best approach.  Getting the right campaign setup from the start means you will start to see return on investment from your Google Ads quicker and with less wastage, a win for your business.

Not sure which type is right for you, or what budget you need? Get an account audit or book a strategy call with our Google Ads team.