This discussion and its public answers were preserved on 11 Sept 2026. Original dates are retained. Author identities are unavailable in the public archive. This archived discussion is read-only and does not award points.

Since launching PMax, I have noticed branded search impressions dropping and PMax claiming those conversions. I have added brand exclusions but it does not seem to work perfectly. Anyone found a reliable solution?

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Highlighted answer · 4 Apr 2026

Brand exclusions in PMax are still imperfect. What worked for us: 1) Add brand exclusions at account level via your Google rep, 2) Create a brand term negative keyword list and apply it, 3) Run a holdout test — pause PMax for 2 weeks and measure if branded search volume recovers. In our case, PMax was claiming about 25% of brand conversions. After proper exclusions, overall CPA dropped 15%.

4 Apr 2026

I have seen this across multiple accounts. The nuclear option is running PMax with URL exclusions for your branded landing pages plus brand term exclusions. Not perfect but reduces cannibalization significantly.

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