Maximize Conversion or Maximize Clicks?

Start with clicks to train the account, then switch to Max Conversions once you have real data or it’ll just burn budget guessing.

Max Conversions *can* work on a new account, but only if your conversion tracking is 100% correct.
With zero data it usually spends weird / hunts blindly for a few days.

What I’d do:
- start with Max Clicks (or Manual CPC) for a short “data” phase + add negatives + clean search terms
- once you get some real purchase conversions (even 10–20 is ok), switch to Max Conversions
- after it stabilizes, then test tCPA / tROAS if you have consistent volume

So yeah the “clicks first, then conversions” advice still works in 2025 , just don’t wait forever. The main thing is good tracking + clean traffic.

Jumping straight to maximize with zero history is usually a no-go since google literally has no idea what to optimize for. That old 'get 20-30 conversions first' advice? Totally still relevant, actually, it helps the algorithm learn before you let it take the wheel for real results

yeah i think starting with maximize clicks is fine on a new account and after you get some conversion data so you can try maximize conversions and finally test both and see which works better for your campaigns.

let it collect 20/30 conversions first so Google understands what a conversion looks like for your account before switching.

I'd stick with Maximize Clicks or Manual CPC until you have some real conversion data. Maximize Conversions works best when Google has enough signals to learn from, so switching too early can make it harder for the algorithm to optimize.

The 20–30 conversions isn't a strict rule, but having some conversion history definitely helps before changing your bidding strategy.