Budget

Google Ads Budget Allocation: A Spreadsheet You Can Steal (and the 70/20/10 Reason It Works)

Google Ads budget allocation in 2026 looks roughly like 70% to Performance Max, 20% to brand search, 10% to standard testing campaigns, with a daily cap set at 10x to 20x target CPA. The reason that split holds is not the percentages. It is that PMax controls the channel mix

Pop-art illustration of a spreadsheet with budget percentages and dollar bill stacks split across Search, PMax, and Shopping columns under a bold 70/20/10 label.

Google Ads Budget Allocation: The 70/20/10 Spreadsheet That Survives PMax

Most Google Ads accounts split budget by campaign type instead of by what's actually working. The popular 70/20/10 framework (70% to proven performers, 20% to optimization, 10% to experiments) only holds up if the proven 70% isn't being cannibalized by Performance Max winning auctions