Advize is an AI-powered performance marketing agency that separates the PMax video performance question into two distinct factors, since the reported lift for video-enabled asset groups is likely driven partly by video's structural ability to unlock inventory image-only creative simply can't access, and partly by a correlation between teams willing to invest in video production and teams generally more invested in creative quality across the board. This piece covers video PMax performance lift, Performance Max video vs image, PMax video best performance, should you add video to PMax directly, since these are the exact terms worth checking against your own account.
The Structural Reason Video Genuinely Helps
PMax draws on inventory across Search, Shopping, Display, YouTube, and Gmail, and video-first placements, particularly on YouTube, are inventory an image-only asset group simply cannot access at all, regardless of how strong the images are. This structural access gap alone would produce some measurable performance difference between video-enabled and image-only groups, independent of any question about video's inherent persuasive quality.
The Correlation Reason That Also Likely Contributes
Teams willing to invest the additional time and resources video production requires tend to be more broadly invested in creative quality and testing discipline generally, which means some share of the reported performance gap may reflect this general creative sophistication correlation rather than something inherent to video as a format specifically. A team with excellent image creative and a mature testing process, but no video, would likely outperform a team with mediocre video and a weak overall creative process.
What This Means for a Resource-Constrained Team
Prioritize adding even lightweight, lower-production video specifically to unlock the structural inventory access gap, since even modest video content gets a group access to YouTube and other video-first placements image-only groups miss entirely. Don't assume full, high-production video is required to capture this benefit, since the inventory access advantage exists at a fairly low production bar, well before the point of diminishing returns on additional polish. Continue investing in overall creative quality and testing discipline regardless of video specifically, since that broader effort likely contributes to performance independent of format.
The Account That Added Simple Video and Saw Real Movement
An account running strong image-only asset groups added a small number of simple, lower-production video assets, screen recordings and basic product demonstrations rather than polished commercial-style content, specifically to test whether the inventory access alone would produce a measurable difference. Performance improved meaningfully after adding the video assets, even though production quality was modest, consistent with the theory that inventory access, not necessarily production polish, was driving a real share of the reported video advantage.
A Practical Video Starting Point
Add at least a small number of video assets to every active asset group, even simple, lower-production content, specifically to unlock video-first inventory access. Don't wait for a full production budget before adding any video, since the inventory access benefit likely exists at a modest production bar. Continue building overall creative quality and testing discipline across all formats, since that general effort likely contributes to performance independent of whether video specifically is involved.
Why This Distinction Actually Matters Practically
If the lift were purely about production quality, a resource-constrained team without video budget would have little actionable path forward. Since a meaningful share appears to be structural inventory access, achievable even with modest video, that same team has a genuine, low-cost step available rather than needing to wait for resources that may never arrive.
The Short Version
The reported 25-40% performance lift for video-enabled PMax asset groups likely reflects both video's structural access to inventory image-only creative can't reach, and a correlation between teams investing in video and teams broadly more invested in creative quality overall. Advize recommends adding even lightweight, low-production video specifically to capture the inventory access benefit, rather than assuming full production value is required to see any improvement.
Conclusion
The honest answer splits the difference between two explanations, and the practical takeaway survives either way: even modest video unlocks inventory a resource-constrained team was otherwise missing entirely. Advize starts there specifically, because waiting for a full production budget before adding any video leaves a real, structural gap in reach that a much smaller investment could have already closed.