When running Google Ads, one of the most important choices you’ll make is which bidding strategy to use. Two of the most popular options are Maximize Clicks and Maximize Conversions. While both can help drive results, they work very differently—and the right choice depends on your goals, budget, and campaign setup. Let’s break down how each strategy works and when to use it.
What is Maximize Clicks?
Maximize Clicks is an automated bidding strategy designed to get as many clicks as possible within your daily budget. Instead of manually adjusting bids, Google automatically sets them to generate the maximum traffic.
Best for:
Driving traffic to a new website or landing page.
Increasing brand awareness.
Testing campaigns where you want quick data on user behavior.
The main benefit is volume—you’ll get lots of visitors, fast. However, not all of those visitors will necessarily convert into leads or sales.
What is Maximize Conversions?
Maximize Conversions focuses on quality over quantity. With this strategy, Google automatically adjusts bids to get the most conversions (such as form fills, purchases, or calls) for your budget.
Best for:
Businesses that track conversions with Google Ads.
Campaigns focused on ROI rather than traffic.
Advertisers ready to let Google’s AI optimize bids in real time.
The advantage is efficiency—you may get fewer clicks overall, but the clicks you do get are more likely to turn into paying customers.
Key Differences
Objective:
Maximize Clicks = More traffic.
Maximize Conversions = More sales, leads, or sign-ups.
Data Needed:
Maximize Clicks doesn’t need much historical data.
Maximize Conversions works best when you already have conversion tracking set up and some past conversion data.
Results:
Maximize Clicks may bring in a large audience, but with lower intent.
Maximize Conversions hones in on high-value users who are more likely to complete an action.
Which One is Better?
The answer depends on your goals:
Choose Maximize Clicks if you’re just starting out, launching a new site, or running awareness campaigns. It’s a great way to quickly understand how people interact with your ads and landing pages.
Choose Maximize Conversions if you have clear goals tied to leads or sales and want to make the most of your budget. Once you have enough conversion data, this strategy usually produces stronger ROI.
Final Thoughts
Neither bidding strategy is “better” in every case. Maximize Clicks can deliver fast traffic, while Maximize Conversions focuses on efficiency and outcomes. The best approach is often to start with Maximize Clicks to build data, then shift to Maximize Conversions once you have enough conversion history to optimize effectively.
At the end of the day, success with Google Ads comes down to matching your bidding strategy to your business goals. Whether you want more eyeballs on your site or more paying customers, Google gives you the tools to get there.
Thousands of businesses have benefited from utilizing Windy City Strategies web design, pay per click management, search engine optimization and consulting services. Contact us today to get started.