Performance Max for Agents: Peach State’s 2026 Test

Performance Max with agent traffic is a powerful, yet often misunderstood, tool in the modern marketer’s arsenal, promising unparalleled reach and automation for lead generation. But does it truly deliver on its promise of efficient, high-quality agent engagement?

We recently ran a campaign for a regional insurance brokerage, “Peach State Protectors,” based out of Atlanta, Georgia, aiming to drive qualified leads for their independent agents specializing in commercial property and casualty insurance. They needed to expand their agent network’s client base across Fulton, Gwinnett, and Cobb counties, particularly targeting small to medium-sized businesses in high-growth areas like the Perimeter Center business district and the burgeoning mixed-use developments around The Battery Atlanta. Our goal was to prove that Performance Max with agent traffic could consistently deliver high-intent leads at a sustainable cost per acquisition, directly attributing new policies to the campaign.

The Strategic Imperative: Why Performance Max for Agent Traffic?

My experience tells me that for businesses heavily reliant on a local sales force – be it insurance agents, real estate brokers, or financial advisors – traditional lead generation methods often fall short on scale or quality. We needed a solution that could tap into Google’s entire ad inventory, from Search and Display to YouTube and Gmail, while intelligently optimizing for conversions that mattered to agents: actual client appointments, not just form fills. Performance Max, with its AI-driven optimization, felt like the right hammer for this nail. The brokerage had previously run standard Search and Display campaigns, but they were hitting a ceiling on scale and struggling with consistent CPL (cost per lead) fluctuations.

Our core hypothesis was that by providing the Google Ads algorithm with ample conversion signals and a diverse set of creative assets, Performance Max would identify and target users most likely to engage with an insurance agent and ultimately convert into a policyholder. This meant moving beyond generic “insurance quotes” and focusing on the pain points of business owners looking for tailored commercial coverage.

Campaign Teardown: Peach State Protectors’ PMax Experiment

Budget: $25,000 per month
Duration: 3 months (April 1, 2026 – June 30, 2026)
Primary Goal: Generate qualified leads (defined as a scheduled consultation with an agent) for commercial property & casualty insurance.
Secondary Goal: Achieve a minimum 2:1 Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) based on first-year policy premiums.

Strategy: Fueling the Machine with First-Party Data

Our strategy hinged on two critical elements: robust first-party data utilization and meticulous conversion tracking.

1. Audience Signals: This is where the “agent traffic” really comes into play. We started by uploading several Customer Match lists to Google Ads. These included:

• A list of existing policyholders (for lookalike targeting and exclusion).
• A list of past leads who didn’t convert (for re-engagement).
• A list of business owners who had attended Peach State Protectors’ local workshops at the Cobb Galleria Centre (highly valuable, high-intent audience).
• We also leveraged custom segments based on competitor websites and relevant industry publications.

According to a HubSpot report, companies leveraging first-party data see significantly higher ROI on their marketing spend.

1. Conversion Tracking: This was non-negotiable. We configured Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to track the following micro and macro conversions:

• Micro-conversion: “Contact Form Submission” (initial lead form).
• Macro-conversion: “Agent Consultation Scheduled” (a successful booking via their online calendar system, integrated directly with agents’ Outlook calendars).
• Macro-conversion: “Policy Quote Requested” (a more detailed form indicating higher intent).
• Crucially, we also set up offline conversion import to feed back data on actual policies sold and their premium values, allowing us to calculate true ROAS. This is an absolute must for any agent-focused campaign. Without it, you’re flying blind on profitability.

1. Geographic Targeting: We focused on the core service areas: Fulton, Gwinnett, and Cobb counties, with specific bid adjustments for high-density commercial zones like Buckhead, Midtown, and the burgeoning areas around Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. We also excluded residential zones to minimize irrelevant impressions.

Creative Approach: Assets, Assets, Assets!

Performance Max thrives on a diverse set of creative assets. We invested heavily here, understanding that the platform would test various combinations across all Google properties.

• Headlines & Descriptions: We created over 50 unique headlines and 20 descriptions, focusing on benefits for small businesses: “Protect Your Atlanta Business,” “Custom Commercial Insurance,” “Expert Local Agents,” “Free Risk Assessment.” We made sure to include location-specific keywords like “Georgia business insurance” and “Atlanta commercial coverage.”
• Images: A mix of high-quality, professional images: local Atlanta landmarks, Peach State Protectors’ agents interacting with clients, modern office spaces, and relevant business iconography. We provided aspect ratios for all placements (square, landscape, portrait).
• Videos: This was a game-changer. We produced three short (15-30 second) videos:

1. An animated explainer video on common commercial insurance myths.
2. A testimonial video from a local Atlanta business owner (a restaurant in Virginia-Highland) praising Peach State Protectors’ service.
3. A direct-to-camera message from the brokerage’s principal agent, emphasizing local expertise and personalized service.

I cannot stress enough how vital video is for Performance Max; it unlocks YouTube placements and often drives higher engagement. A Statista report from 2024 indicated that video content consistently outperforms other formats in digital advertising for engagement metrics.

Data & Results: What Worked, What Didn’t, and Why

Here’s a snapshot of the campaign’s performance over the three-month period:

| Metric | Month 1 (Apr) | Month 2 (May) | Month 3 (Jun) | Average |
| :——————— | :———— | :———— | :———— | :—— |
| Budget Spent | $25,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 |
| Impressions | 1.8M | 2.5M | 3.1M | 2.47M |
| Clicks | 28,000 | 45,000 | 58,000 | 43,667 |
| CTR | 1.56% | 1.80% | 1.87% | 1.74% |
| Leads (Form Submissions) | 180 | 310 | 390 | 293 |
| CPL (Form Submission) | $138.89 | $80.65 | $64.10 | $85.39 |
| Qualified Leads (Agent Consults) | 35 | 95 | 130 | 86.67 |
| Cost Per Qualified Lead (CPL) | $714.29 | $263.16 | $192.31 | $347.92 |
| New Policies Sold | 5 | 18 | 28 | 17 |
| ROAS | 0.8:1 | 2.1:1 | 3.5:1 | 2.13:1 |

• What Worked:
• The Learning Phase is Real: Month 1 was rough. The CPL for qualified leads was astronomical, and ROAS was underwater. This is why patience is paramount with Performance Max. The algorithm needs data to optimize. I had a client last year, a boutique law firm in Buckhead, who pulled the plug after two weeks because their CPL was too high. Big mistake. You need to trust the process, especially when feeding it good data.
• Video Assets Drove Engagement: Our YouTube placements, primarily driven by the testimonial video, had a significantly higher CTR (averaging 2.5%) and lower CPC than other placements.
• First-Party Data was Gold: The Customer Match lists proved invaluable. The lookalike audiences generated from existing policyholders consistently delivered leads with higher qualification rates.
• Offline Conversion Import: This feature, often overlooked, allowed us to accurately attribute revenue and optimize for true profitability. Without it, we would have optimized for form fills, missing the bigger picture.

• What Didn’t Work (Initially):
• Generic Headlines: Early on, headlines that were too broad (“Insurance Solutions”) performed poorly. Specificity, like “Commercial Auto Coverage for Atlanta Businesses,” was far more effective.
• Static Image-Only Asset Groups: Asset groups without video struggled to gain traction, particularly on YouTube and Display. This reiterated my strong opinion: if you’re running Performance Max, you must have video.
• Broad Location Targeting: Initially, we included the entire state of Georgia to test reach. This quickly led to irrelevant impressions and higher CPLs. Narrowing down to our core counties significantly improved efficiency.

Optimization Steps Taken: Iteration is Key

Throughout the campaign, we continuously refined our approach:

1. Asset Group Refinement: Weekly analysis of asset group performance in the “Combinations” report within Google Ads. We paused underperforming combinations of headlines, descriptions, images, and videos. For instance, a particular image of a generic office building paired with a broad headline had a dismal CTR and no conversions, so it was removed.
2. Audience Signal Adjustments: We noticed that while general business owner audiences were good, those who had recently searched for “commercial insurance Atlanta” or “business liability Georgia” were converting at a much higher rate. We refined our custom segments to focus on these high-intent search behaviors.
3. Negative Keywords (Search): Although Performance Max is largely automated, we still monitored the Search Terms report and added irrelevant terms (e.g., “car insurance,” “home insurance quotes”) as negative keywords at the account level. This is crucial for maintaining quality, even if it’s less direct than in standard Search campaigns.
4. Bid Strategy Evolution: We started with “Maximize Conversions” with a target CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) for qualified leads. As the campaign gathered data and hit our ROAS target, we switched to “Maximize Conversion Value” with a target ROAS. This allowed the algorithm to prioritize higher-value policies, directly boosting our overall ROAS. This is a critical transition point for any Performance Max campaign aiming for profitability.

Editorial Aside: The Human Element Remains Indispensable

Here’s what nobody tells you about Performance Max: it’s not a set-it-and-forget-it solution. While the AI is powerful, it still needs intelligent human guidance. My team spent hours reviewing search terms, analyzing asset performance, and cross-referencing conversion data with the sales team at Peach State Protectors. We even interviewed some of the agents to understand the quality of leads they were receiving. This qualitative feedback, combined with the quantitative data, allowed us to make informed decisions that the algorithm couldn’t possibly discern on its own. The idea that AI replaces marketers is a dangerous myth; it augments us, making us more efficient, but the strategic brain and critical analysis are still very much human responsibilities.

The Performance Max campaign for Peach State Protectors, leveraging strategic first-party data and continuous optimization, demonstrably delivered qualified agent traffic and a strong ROAS. For any business with a dedicated sales force, embracing this automated campaign type with a focus on granular conversion tracking and diverse creative assets is no longer optional – it’s a competitive necessity. For more insights on maximizing your ad spend, consider exploring how to maximize ad spend in 2026. Furthermore, understanding the nuances of bid management can significantly impact your campaign’s success. If you’re looking to enhance your marketing tech stack, incorporating AI and data-driven strategies is crucial for winning in 2026.