Still think Performance Max (PMax) campaigns are a black box? You’re not alone. Many Malaysian advertisers feel PMax is like giving Google your budget and praying for results. But guess what? In 2025, Google is finally giving us more control—and more clarity.

With the new Utility Indicator and upgraded campaign-level settings, you can now better understand what your PMax is doing—and how to improve performance.

In this post, I’ll break down what’s new in Performance Max 2025, how it affects Malaysian businesses, and what you should do now to stay ahead.

1. Quick Recap: What is Performance Max?

In case you’re new to this:

Performance Max is a goal-based campaign that lets you advertise across all Google platforms in one go—Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, Maps, and more.

Instead of choosing placements, Google uses AI to decide where to show your ads for the best results.

But the problem?

You had zero visibility into which placement works best. Until now.

2. What Is the Utility Indicator?

New in 2025, the Utility Indicator is a scoring tool inside your PMax dashboard. It shows how well your assets (text, images, videos, audience signals) are performing—using AI-backed predictions.

Here’s what it tells you:

• Which asset group is driving the most value
• If your creative is “low,” “medium,” or “high” utility
• Suggestions on what to improve (e.g., “Add more video” or “Refine your audience”)

💡 Think of it like a health check for your PMax campaigns—no more flying blind.

3. Campaign-Level Controls (Finally!)

In the past, you couldn’t really guide your PMax campaign. Now, you can customize more—without giving up the AI advantage.

New Controls Include:

• Inventory filters: Exclude certain products or categories
• Search themes: Tell Google the types of keywords to focus on
• Geo-targeting refinements: Narrow down specific postcodes or regions
• Device preference: Prioritize mobile if you’re running WhatsApp lead ads

💡 If you’re running a Malaysia-based campaign (say, for Klang Valley only), this is a game-changer.

4.  Why This Matters for Malaysian Advertisers

Let’s be real—PMax was always a bit “too global” for small businesses here. But with 2025 updates:

• You get more control without needing to be a PPC expert
• You can localize better—target Bahasa-speaking users, urban markets, or KL-only delivery
• You can see which creatives perform best, so you stop wasting time on dud designs

5. How to Use the Utility Indicator (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Go into your PMax campaign dashboard

Click on your active campaign and look for the “Asset Group” tab.

Step 2: Review the Utility Scores

You’ll see labels like:

• ✅ High Utility
• ⚠️ Medium Utility
• ❌ Low Utility

Google will recommend changes (e.g., “Upload more videos” or “Add Malay copy version”).

Step 3: Make Data-Driven Edits

Update poor-performing assets weekly. Run A/B tests using different tones (formal vs. conversational).

💡 Pro tip: Use localized visuals—Malaysian people, food, currency—to improve relevance.

6. Use Search Themes to Steer Google’s AI

Now you can add up to 25 Search Themes per asset group. This tells Google what your business is about—even if you’re not using standard keywords.

Examples:

Business: Online Mandarin class
Search themes: “Chinese tuition Malaysia,” “learn Mandarin for kids,” “zoom class bahasa Cina”

Business: Mobile car detailing
Search themes: “car spa near me,” “mobile auto detailing KL,” “home car wash PJ”

💡 This makes PMax much smarter—especially for local service-based businesses.

7. Audience Signals Are Still Critical

In 2025, Audience Signals still play a huge role in guiding the algorithm.

Tips:

• Add your own remarketing lists
  
• Include website visitors from the last 30–60 days
  
• Use Lookalike lists (email uploads, customer match)
  
• Include interest-based audiences if your business is niche

💡 Don’t just “trust the algorithm”—feed it good data.

8. What Creative Assets Work Best in 2025?

PMax campaigns run across Google’s entire ecosystem, so your creatives need to be flexible.

Must-Have Assets:

• 5x high-resolution images (local vibes help—food, faces, store interior)
• 1–2 short vertical videos (works for YouTube Shorts and Display)
• Headlines in both English & Malay
• Strong calls to action: “Get Free Quote,” “Book Online Now,” “Shop with Free Delivery”

💡 Always include local language versions—especially if you’re targeting suburban audiences or specific ethnic groups.

9. What to Watch in Your Reports

Start checking:

• Conversion value by asset group
• Top-performing locations (you can geo-narrow)
• Search category insights (see where Google is placing your ads)
• New vs returning customers metrics

💡 Watch trends, not daily spikes. PMax works best when optimized weekly.

Conclusion

Performance Max has gone from mysterious black box to a data-driven, customizable engine—if you know how to use it right. With the Utility Indicator, better geo-control, and smarter search themes, even small Malaysian businesses can now run profitable, predictable PMax campaigns.

If you’ve been hesitating to use PMax—or you’ve run it before and hated the results—2025 is the time to try again.

Want to master Google PMax the localized way?

Enroll in my course to get the full breakdown, ad templates, and Malaysia-specific PMax training that works.