When to Add a Maximize Conversions Bidding Strategy in Google Ads
Jul 24, 2024A maximize conversions bidding strategy in Google Ads is designed to help advertisers get the highest number of conversions within a set budget. This guide explains when to use maximize conversions or maximize conversion value bidding, how they work, and what you need to watch out for to avoid overspending or underperforming campaigns.
Key Takeaways:
- Wait until your account generates at least 30 conversions per month before switching to maximize conversions.
- Review performance trends over 90, 60, and 30 days to confirm conversion stability.
- Don’t set a Target CPA or ROAS until you’ve run maximize conversions for a few weeks.
- Adjust CPA or ROAS goals gradually based on actual performance.
What Is a Maximize Conversions Bidding Strategy?
Before diving in, let’s clarify: "maximize conversions" refers to both maximize conversions and maximize conversion value bidding strategies within Google Ads.Avoid making budget and bidding changes at the same time.
Maximize Conversions vs Target CPA: What’s the Difference?
Maximize conversions focuses on volume, spending your full budget to get the most conversions possible. Target CPA introduces a cost-efficiency constraint, aiming to keep the cost per conversion around a specific value—even if that limits volume.
Why You Shouldn't Use Maximize Conversions Too Early
One of the biggest mistakes is implementing a maximize conversions strategy too early. New Google Ads users are often encouraged by the dashboard and Google reps to switch to this strategy almost immediately, which can lead to poor results.
For context, I typically wait at least six months before adding a maximize conversions or maximize conversion value bidding strategy. These strategies rely on conversion data to allocate budget to traffic most likely to convert. Without sufficient conversion data, Google may spend your budget inefficiently.
If you're unsure, wait and review your data next month before making this change.
How Many Conversions Per Month to Use Maximize Conversions?
Google recommends at least 30 conversions per month before using a maximize conversions bidding strategy. This threshold ensures Google has enough data to optimize performance and allocate budget effectively.
The rest of the article remains the same until the FAQ section
FAQ
What is the maximize conversions bid strategy in Google Ads?
The maximize conversions bid strategy is an automated bidding method in Google Ads that uses your full daily budget to get as many conversions as possible. It works by analyzing your past conversion data and adjusting bids in real time.
When should I use maximize conversions in Google Ads?
You should use maximize conversions once your campaign consistently generates at least 30 conversions per month and shows stable results over the past 90, 60, and 30 days. Using it too early can lead to wasted budget and poor performance.
How does the maximize conversions bidding strategy work?
Google’s algorithm uses historical data and real-time signals—like device, location, time of day, and audience—to automatically bid higher when a user is more likely to convert, aiming to deliver the most conversions within your set budget.
What’s the difference between maximize conversions and maximize conversion value?
Maximize conversions focuses on getting the highest number of conversions, regardless of their value. Maximize conversion value aims to drive the highest total conversion value (e.g. revenue) for your budget, making it more suitable for eCommerce or high-value services.
How many conversions per month do I need to use maximize conversions?
A good rule of thumb is to have at least 30 conversions per month before switching to maximize conversions. This gives Google’s algorithm enough data to optimize performance effectively.
Should I set a target CPA when using maximize conversions?
No, you should not set a target CPA immediately. Let the campaign run on maximize conversions alone for at least 2–4 weeks, then introduce a target CPA gradually based on your actual cost per conversion data.
Can I increase budget and change bidding strategy at the same time?
It’s best to avoid making both changes simultaneously. Changing bidding strategies and increasing budgets at the same time can confuse the algorithm and lead to unpredictable performance. Make changes one at a time.