New Google Ads: maximise clicks or conversions? My take.

roichaser

If you're starting new Google Ads accounts with maximise clicks, you're wasting money. I've tested both extensively. Max conversions from the start, no target CPA, budget as your only constraint. The algorithm needs real conversion data, not click data. People who claim they need to 'collect data first' are just afraid of the learning phase. Push through it. Works every time for B2B lead gen. A colleague agreed: max conversions, no limits, then switch to tCPA later. Don't set a target CPA too early - it restricts learning.

socialbutterfly

For brand new accounts, I usually start with maximizing clicks first to collect data, then switch to maximizing conversions once enough conversion data comes in. And no, I usually avoid setting a target CPA too early because it can restrict learning in fresh campaigns

brandvoice

i always start with Max clicks. Wait until you've got around 30 conversions in 30 days, then switch to Maximise conversions - that's the sweet spot. Feels safer for the account and kinder to the budget.

metricsmuse

Usually start with max clicks unless the account already has decent conversion tracking and enough volume coming in quickly. Too many fresh accounts try max conversions with barely any signal and just burn through budget in weird auctions.

Also avoid setting a tCPA too early. It feels like it boxes the campaign in before Google has any clue what a good conversion actually looks like.

pixelpusher

Honestly, I always go maximise conversions or conversion value. no bid limits. budget is your only control. Switch to tCPA/tROAS once you've got the data. people overthink this.

localpack

Honestly, for a brand new account, I always kick off with Maximise Clicks.

You need to establish a baseline. If the tracking is untested-and it usually is on fresh accounts-pushing for conversions straight away can be a disaster. You end up optimising for garbage data.

First job: let the system run a bit, gather clean search terms, and make sure your conversion tracking is actually firing properly. Once I've got maybe 20-30 genuine enquiries coming through, then I switch to Maximise Conversions.

And I never set a target CPA too early. That just throttles delivery before you've got enough conversion volume for smart bidding to work its magic.

Seen too many people screw this up by jumping straight into Target CPA on day one with zero historical data. Recipe for wasted budget.

funnelhacker

Nothing worse than burning budget with zero conversion data. Start with Maximize Clicks or Manual CPC to pump real signals into the account. Save Maximize Conversions once you've got at least 30 genuine conversions in the bag. And for god's sake, don't lock in a target CPA early - Google will choke delivery before it's learned anything useful.

nightowl

For new accounts, I treat the bidding strategy like laying groundwork - start with maximise clicks to collect clean search term data and conversion signals. Only once tracking and conversion volume look dependable do I pivot to maximise conversions.

digitalnomad

usually i start with maximize clicks for a bit just so the account can gather some decent data first. jumping straight into maximize conversions on a fresh account can feel kinda rough if there isnt enough conversion history yet. once things start getting consistent i switch over and let it optimize more toward conversions. i dont always set a target cpa right away either cause sometimes google gets way too restrictive early on lol

sophiasaas

Starting out with maximise clicks and phrase/exact match is a smart move. Once you've banked a couple dozen conversions, it makes sense to switch. For smaller accounts, I'd stick with manual bidding the whole way-lets you keep control. On maximise conversions, always set a target CPA, otherwise Google will burn through budget faster than you can optimise.

bouncekiller

Oh, bless your heart for even asking that question.

I usually run an experiment with both-because, frankly, picking one without data is like throwing pasta at the wall and hoping it sticks to a conversion. "Max clicks" is great for building data in a new account (hello, learning phase), but "Max conversions" without any conversion history is basically yelling at a ghost. So I set up a budget split, let them fight it out for a week or two, then mercilessly kill the loser. Works every time.

adcraft

Anyone telling you to go straight to maximise conversions on a new account is setting you up to fail. I force spend with manual CPC first, then switch to maximise clicks to gather cheap traffic and conversion volume, then flip to maximise conversions. Works every time.

leadgen

I remember when I first set up a Search campaign for a client-nothing but a fresh account and zero conversion data. It's like showing up to a party where nobody's danced yet. So I always start with manual CPC or max clicks, just to get the door open and see what moves. Once I've got a handful of conversions rolling in, then I switch to max conversions and let the algorithm do its thing. Feels safer than jumping straight into a bid strategy when you've got nothing to optimise against.

marketingmule

The issue with Max Clicks is it'll push you toward low-quality terms every time. lately, I've been starting new accounts on target impression share with a capped Max CPC bid - keeps Google from doing anything wild while still avoiding the cheapest, most irrelevant clicks. Anyone else find impression share works better for controlling early campaign quality?

24fire

maximise Clicks first. Always. A brand new account has no conversion signal-it's like trying to navigate a dark room with a blindfold. The algorithm needs a critical mass of conversions before it can learn anything useful. i usually wait until 30-50 conversions have accumulated before switching to Maximise Conversions. Even then, don't anchor it with a target CPA until you have a real baseline. without that data, the bidding engine just flails around, spending your budget on guesswork. It's a classic 'measure twice, cut once' situation. Start with the volume play, build your foundation, then optimise

ranktracker

Depends heavily on your budget and how clean your conversion tracking is.

For brand new accounts with zero conversion history, I usually kick off with Maximise Clicks or manual CPC. That lets me gather solid search term data and start building conversion volume without the algorithm strangling delivery.

Max Conversions can work if you've got a decent stream of early conversions, but on a fresh account it often pulls punches - limited spend, poor learning. I wouldn't set a target CPA until I've got at least a few dozen stable conversions to guide it.

buggedout

If you can consistently hit 15 conversions or more per month, starting with Maximise Conversions is the smarter play. From what I've seen, Maximise Clicks tends to chase cheap traffic that rarely converts, and when you eventually switch strategies you're looking at a hard learning reset that wastes budget.

Things to keep in mind:

Below 15 conversions/month? Start with Maximise Clicks to gather data, but be ready for a rough transition later.
Above that threshold? Go straight for conversions. The model ramps up faster than trying to retrain a click-focused campaign.
Those "cheap" clicks from Maximise Clicks often have lower intent - you're paying for volume, not quality.

I've seen accounts lose weeks of optimisation because they had to rebuild the conversion model after switching. Better to bite the bullet early if the data supports it.

neonlights

I used to start with a click-based bid strategy. Over the last 18 months or so I've launched more and more campaigns starting with a conversion-based bid strategy - even in accounts with no history.

I understand that these days Google learns from system-wide data, not just the conversion data in your account, which makes the traditional buy-clicks-and-hope-for-conversions approach unnecessary.

But, there is no one true way of managing Google Ads. If what you do works for you, keep doing it.

If you're interested I've written up the day-by-day stats for a recent campaign launched with a conversion-based bid strategy here: https://pete-bowen.com/whats-the-right-bidding-strategy-for-a-brand-new-google-ads-account

roichaser

Honestly, I wouldn't touch Maximize clicks in a new account at all. It's a strategy designed to burn budget fast and show you a pretty click volume that means nothing. If you're asking about a max bid limit, you're already admitting you don't trust the algorithm-so why use it?

The whole "start with clicks then switch to conversions" thing is a myth pushed by Google reps who want you to spend more. You're better off going straight to Maximize conversions with a target CPA, even if it means zero conversions for the first week. At least then you're training the model on what actually matters-not vanity clicks from irrelevant queries.

If you absolutely have to use Maximize clicks, sure, set a max bid limit to stop it from going wild. But that just turns it into a worse version of manual CPC. So just use manual CPC from day one, watch search terms like a hawk, and move to automated bidding once you've got 15-20 conversions in the account. The "clicks first" path is a trap.

leadgen

This is the official advice from Google and what I do.