Google Ads: Maximize Conversions vs. Maximize Clicks - The Complete Guide

Introduction: Bidding Strategies Showdown

Picture this: You’ve just launched your Google Ads account, budget in hand, ready to conquer the digital advertising world. Then you face your first major decision—which bidding strategy should you choose? It’s like standing at a fork in the road where one path leads to “Traffic Town” and the other to “Conversion City.”

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive deep into two of Google’s most popular automated bidding strategies: Maximize Conversions and Maximize Clicks. Think of them as two different personal trainers for your ads—one focused on helping you build muscle mass (traffic), the other on improving your athletic performance (conversions).

Maximize Conversions: The Results-Obsessed Strategy

What Is It, Really?

Maximize Conversions is Google’s AI-powered bidding strategy that has one obsession: getting you as many conversions as possible within your budget. It’s like having a shopping assistant who’s determined to find you the best deals while sticking to your spending limit.

The Inner Workings

Behind the scenes, Google’s algorithm is constantly analyzing:

• Historical conversion data from your account
• User signals (device, location, time of day)
• Contextual information about search queries
• Competition in each auction

Imagine a mission control center where tiny Google robots are frantically adjusting bids in milliseconds before each auction, all working toward maximizing your conversion count.

Real-World Example

Meet Sarah’s Succulent Shop

Sarah sells rare succulents online and started with a daily budget of $100. Initially running manual bidding, she was getting about 15 conversions per week at an average cost of $40 per conversion.

After switching to Maximize Conversions:

• Week 1: 14 conversions (slightly down, but the algorithm was learning)
• Week 2: 19 conversions
• Week 3: 23 conversions
• Week 4: 26 conversions with the same $100 daily budget

The algorithm identified that desktop users between 35-44 years old searching on weekends were Sarah’s gold mine of customers and adjusted bids accordingly.

When It Shines

Maximize Conversions is perfect when:

• You’ve defined what “success” looks like (purchases, sign-ups, etc.)
• You’ve set up proper conversion tracking (the algorithm needs data like a car needs fuel)
• You have a consistent budget that’s at least 10x your average conversion value
• You’ve collected at least 30 conversions in the past 30 days

The Good, The Bad, The Algorithm

Advantages:

• Set it and (mostly) forget it automation
• Optimizes toward business outcomes, not just traffic
• Adapts quickly to market changes
• Makes thousands of micro-adjustments no human could manage

Disadvantages:

• Can be a bit of a “black box” (sometimes it feels like your campaign is being run by a mysterious wizard behind a curtain)
• May initially underperform while learning
• Requires conversion tracking setup (which can be technically challenging)
• May prioritize cheaper conversions over higher-quality ones

Pro Tip

When starting with Maximize Conversions, resist the urge to make major changes in the first two weeks. It’s like planting a garden—you need to give the seeds time to grow before deciding the soil is bad.

Maximize Clicks: The Traffic Magnet

What Is It, Really?

Maximize Clicks is the straightforward cousin in the bidding strategy family. Its mission? Get as many people as possible to click on your ads within your budget. It’s like hiring a carnival barker whose only job is to get people through the door.

The Inner Workings

This strategy:

• Automatically adjusts your bids to get the most clicks possible
• Tries to balance quantity of clicks with cost efficiency
• Works to spend your entire daily budget (it’s not a saver)
• Focuses on volume rather than user quality or intent

Real-World Example

Meet Tom’s Tech Tutorials

Tom launched a new online course platform and had no historical conversion data. His primary goal was to build awareness and collect data to optimize later.

Starting with a daily budget of $50 on Maximize Clicks:

• Week 1: 210 clicks at an average CPC of $1.67
• Week 2: 245 clicks at an average CPC of $1.43 (as the algorithm improved)
• Week 3: 287 clicks at an average CPC of $1.22

While Tom’s conversion rate was initially low (2%), the strategy helped him quickly:

• Gather data on which keywords performed best
• Build his remarketing audience
• Identify which landing pages had lower bounce rates

After six weeks, with sufficient data collected, Tom switched to Maximize Conversions and saw his cost per enrollment drop by 35%.

When It Shines

Maximize Clicks is your best friend when:

• You’re new to Google Ads and need to build data
• Your primary goal is awareness or traffic generation
• You haven’t yet implemented conversion tracking
• You’re testing new products, markets, or landing pages
• You need to quickly build a remarketing audience

The Good, The Bad, The Traffic

Advantages:

• Simple to set up and understand
• Works without conversion history
• Gets immediate results
• Great for new campaigns or businesses
• Helps build data for future optimization

Disadvantages:

• Doesn’t distinguish between high-intent and low-intent visitors
• Could drive less qualified traffic
• May focus on cheaper but less valuable clicks
• Doesn’t directly optimize for business outcomes

Pro Tip

When using Maximize Clicks, always set a maximum CPC bid limit. Otherwise, you might end up paying $10 for a click in a competitive industry when you’d only be willing to pay $2. It’s like setting a spending limit for a teenager with your credit card—essential protection against enthusiasm.

Battle of the Strategies: Key Differences

The Philosophy Difference

Maximize Conversions: “I don’t care about traffic that doesn’t convert.” (Quality focus)
Maximize Clicks: “Let’s get as many visitors as possible.” (Quantity focus)

It’s like choosing between a fishing net (clicks) and a spear (conversions). One catches more fish; the other catches specific fish.

The Data Appetite

Maximize Conversions: “Feed me data! Lots of it!” (Hungry for conversion history)
Maximize Clicks: “I can work with whatever you’ve got.” (Less data-dependent)

Budget Efficiency

Maximize Conversions: Might spend more on fewer, but more valuable clicks
Maximize Clicks: Tries to get the most clicks for your budget

Imagine two shoppers: one buys three high-quality shirts, the other buys ten cheaper shirts with the same budget.

Comparative Case Study: The Tale of Two Campaigns

The Scenario

Two identical e-commerce stores selling premium coffee beans, each with a $1,000 monthly budget:

Coffee Beans Direct (CBD): Used Maximize Clicks
Premium Roast Co. (PRC): Used Maximize Conversions

Month 1 Results

CBD (Maximize Clicks):

• 2,500 clicks
• 50 conversions (2% conversion rate)
• $20 cost per conversion
• $1,000 revenue (average order $20)
• 1:1 ROAS

PRC (Maximize Conversions):

• 1,200 clicks
• 75 conversions (6.25% conversion rate)
• $13.33 cost per conversion
• $1,500 revenue (average order $20)
• 1.5:1 ROAS

The Twist

By Month 3, CBD switched to Maximize Conversions after building sufficient data and improved their results dramatically:

• 1,800 clicks
• 90 conversions (5% conversion rate)
• $11.11 cost per conversion
• $1,800 revenue
• 1.8:1 ROAS

This illustrates the ideal progression: start with clicks to build data, then pivot to conversions once you have enough information.

When To Switch: The Evolution of a Successful Campaign

The natural progression for many successful campaigns follows this path:

1. The Traffic Phase (Maximize Clicks)
   • Build initial data
   • Identify performing keywords
   • Create remarketing audiences
   • Test ad variations
2. The Transition Phase
   • Implement solid conversion tracking
   • Accumulate at least 30 conversions in 30 days
   • Analyze initial conversion data
   • Prepare for strategy shift
3. The Conversion Phase (Maximize Conversions)
   • Switch bidding strategy
   • Monitor conversion costs closely
   • Allow learning period (2 weeks minimum)
   • Begin optimizing for conversion quality
4. The Refinement Phase
   • Implement Target CPA or ROAS
   • Focus on high-value customers
   • Optimize landing pages based on conversion data
   • Scale successful campaigns

Think of it as raising a child: first, they learn to crawl (clicks), then walk (conversions), and finally run (targeted ROAS/CPA).

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

For Maximize Conversions

1. The Impatience Trap Problem: Changing strategy after only a few days of “underperformance” Solution: Give Google’s algorithm at least 2 weeks to learn and optimize
2. The Conversion Drought Problem: Not having enough conversions for the algorithm to learn effectively Solution: Start with Maximize Clicks until you have 30+ conversions, then switch
3. The Budget Rollercoaster Problem: Frequently changing your budget, confusing the algorithm Solution: Set a consistent budget you can maintain for at least a month

For Maximize Clicks

1. The Bottomless Budget Problem: Not setting maximum bid limits and overpaying for clicks Solution: Always set a maximum CPC cap
2. The Traffic Trap Problem: Getting addicted to high click numbers without focusing on quality Solution: Regularly review bounce rates and time-on-site metrics
3. The Complacency Comfort Zone Problem: Sticking with Maximize Clicks too long after gathering sufficient data Solution: Set a calendar reminder to reevaluate your strategy after collecting meaningful conversion data

Expert PPC Tips for Each Strategy

Maximize Conversions Mastery

1. The Conversion Safety Net Don’t throw all your budget into Maximize Conversions at once. Test with 50% of your budget first, then scale up as results improve.
2. The Target Technique Once you have 100+ conversions, consider adding a Target CPA to maintain efficiency while scaling.
3. The Value Validator Regularly check which conversions are actually leading to revenue. Not all conversions are created equal!

Maximize Clicks Mastery

1. The Keyword Curator Review search terms weekly and add negatives aggressively—focus your clicks on relevant searches.
2. The Bid Cap Ballet Set different maximum CPC caps by device, location, and time of day based on performance data.
3. The Quality Quotient Monitor your Quality Scores closely—improving them will get you more clicks for the same budget.

Advanced Tactics for the Ambitious

Maximize Conversions+

For those ready to take their conversion strategy to the next level:

1. Conversion Value Rules Assign different values to different types of conversions based on their likelihood to generate revenue.
2. Audience-Specific Bid Adjustments While Google handles most bidding, you can still adjust bids for specific audiences (+20% for previous visitors, for example).
3. Sequential Campaign Structure Create separate campaigns for different stages of the funnel, using Maximize Clicks for awareness and Maximize Conversions for consideration and decision stages.

Maximize Clicks+

For the click strategist who wants more sophistication:

1. The Remarketing Bridge Use Maximize Clicks for cold traffic, then switch to Maximize Conversions for remarketing campaigns.
2. The Time-of-Day Tactician Schedule campaigns to run only during high-engagement hours, maximizing the quality of your clicks.
3. The Geographic Gold Miner Analyze geographic performance data and exclude or decrease bids in underperforming locations.

Conclusion: Choosing Your Champion

In the battle of Maximize Conversions vs. Maximize Clicks, there is no absolute winner—only the right tool for your current situation.

Think of Maximize Clicks as your first date strategy: you’re trying to meet as many potential matches as possible. Maximize Conversions is more like your engagement strategy: you’ve found someone promising and now you’re focused on making a deeper commitment.

The HirePro PPC Experts don’t see these strategies as competitors but as teammates in the relay race of digital marketing:

• Maximize Clicks runs the first leg, building momentum and gathering data
• Maximize Conversions takes the baton for the middle distance
• Target CPA or ROAS brings it home in the final stretch

Remember, Google’s AI is powerful but not psychic. It needs your guidance, your data, and sometimes your patience to deliver the results you’re looking for.

Whether you choose the traffic highway or the conversion expressway, the destination remains the same: a profitable, sustainable advertising campaign that grows your business. The only question is which route will get you there fastest with your particular vehicle.

Now go forth and bid wisely!