When to switch from Maximize Clicks to Maximize Conversions

Maximize Clicks and Maximize Conversions both have its place in a campaign, but the trick is knowing when it’s time to make the switch from one to the other.

Table of Contents

• Maximize Clicks vs Maximize Conversions
• When to switch to Maximize Conversions
• Benefits of switching to Maximize Conversions
• Tips for making the switch smoothly
• Maximize Conversion is tanking my campaign
• Adding Target CPA

Maximize Clicks vs Maximize Conversions

Maximize Clicks is a bidding strategy designed to get as many clicks as possible within your budget. It’s best used when:

• You’re launching new campaigns without historical data.
• You’re building awareness or testing the waters with new keywords.
• You’re aiming to increase site traffic.

Limitations: Maximize Clicks can attract a large audience, but it doesn’t prioritize conversion-focused traffic, which means you might see high click-through rates without actual leads or sales.Maximize Conversions?

Maximize Conversions is a strategy that adjusts bids to drive more conversions as set by you (usually sales, leads or sign-ups). This strategy is best for:

• Established campaigns with a strong conversion focus.
• Budgets aimed at driving results over volume.

Limitations: Maximize Conversions needs enough historical data to work effectively, so it’s best for campaigns with consistent conversion data.

Generally, you want to end up on Maximize Conversions, it’s likely going to be more efficient from a CPA perspective.

When to switch to Maximize Conversions

You shouldn’t switch to Maximize Conversion on your campaigns until you have:

• Conversion tracking in place: Make sure you have conversion tracking set up accurately. Without it, the algorithm won’t know what actions to prioritize.
• Enough conversion data: Aim for at least 30 conversions as a solid baseline. More data gives the algorithm better insights into what’s driving results. Don’t shortcut this, you need enough data for Max Conversion to work.
• A stable budget: The Max Conversion algo is going to work best with other variables staying relatively fixed. Try not make budget changes within 20%, any larger might reboot the learning phase.

Benefits of switching to Maximize Conversions

Switching to Maximize Conversions can offer significant advantages:

• Better ad spend efficiency: Your budget targets clicks that are more likely to convert, which means more value per dollar spent.
• Higher ROI: By focusing on conversions, you’re investing in traffic that drives actual results, leading to a better return on your investment.
• Quality over quantity: You’ll get fewer but more meaningful clicks, reducing waste on unqualified traffic.

Tips for making the switch smoothly

• What to expect: You should see fewer clicks right off the bat. As Google Ads learns how to target conversions, you should see an improvement on the number
• Monitor performance: After switching, keep an eye on key metrics like cost per conversion and overall conversion rate. Max Conversion can take a bit of time to ramp up. Give it a month at least.
• Adjust your budget: Reallocate budget as needed to ensure the campaign has enough resources for effective bidding.

Maximize Conversion is tanking my campaign

Time to troubleshoot! The most common issues I see with Max Conversion problems are:

1. Not tracking the correct conversion data
2. Switching too early without enough conversion data
3. Setting too low of a Target CPA, sometimes this is the reason why ads don’t show.

If these are not your issues, it might be time to just do a full Google Ads audit.

Adding Target CPA

Once you’ve switched to Maximize Conversions, you may eventually want to introduce Target CPA (Cost Per Acquisition). Target CPA allows you to set a specific cost goal for each conversion, helping you control costs more precisely.

Consider adding Target CPA when:

• Your CPA data is consistent: You have at least a few weeks of consistent CPA data, and you’re confident in the average cost you’re willing to pay per conversion.
• You’re looking to scale efficiently: If you want to increase volume while keeping costs under control, Target CPA can help the algorithm focus on conversions that meet your budget goals.
• You have clear cost goals: If your business has strict ROI goals or needs predictable costs, setting a target CPA can help align ad spend with your financial targets.

Tip: Start with a Target CPA thats 10-15% lower than your historical average CPA and monitor performance from there.