What Google says
In Google's own words: “Maximize clicks sets your bids to help get as many clicks as possible within your budget.” (Google help center)
What it optimizes for
Clicks, and only clicks. You are telling Google to spend the budget on as much traffic as it can find, which means you control quantity rather than quality. Google lists it alongside Target impression share as automated bid strategies outside its Smart Bidding set (Target CPA, Target ROAS, Maximize conversions and Maximize conversion value), which is what separates both from Smart Bidding proper.
The trap
A campaign can display a conversion goal and still run Maximize clicks underneath, and nothing in the interface flags the mismatch. The symptom is healthy clicks and CTR with flat or wrong-fit conversions, which teams usually misdiagnose as a landing page problem. We cover the check in your campaign says it's optimizing for leads, and why we skip this strategy entirely in why we start on Maximize conversions.
A worked example
Say a campaign on Maximize clicks has a $50 daily budget and lands at a $2 average CPC, about 25 clicks a day or 750 a month. At a 3% conversion rate that is roughly 22 conversions for $1,500, a $67 CPA ($1,500 / 22.5), and the bidder never looked at which of those clicks were likely to convert. Illustrative numbers, not a client result.
Common questions
Is Maximize clicks a Smart Bidding strategy?
No. Smart Bidding covers strategies that use auction-time bidding to optimize for conversions or conversion value: Target CPA, Target ROAS, Maximize conversions and Maximize conversion value. Maximize clicks is automated but is not one of them.
When would you use Maximize clicks?
Rarely for lead generation or ecommerce, because it buys traffic rather than outcomes. It can suit a pure traffic objective, but if you care about conversions, a conversion-based strategy is pointed at the right thing from the start.
Is Maximize clicks fully automated?
Yes, Google sets the bids for you, but you can add a maximum CPC bid limit to cap what it pays per click. Google notes that bid adjustments apply on top of that limit, and a limit set too low can stop the strategy reaching its goal.
Does Maximize clicks account for mobile vs desktop?
Not on its own. Google says Maximize clicks does not account for differences between mobile and desktop or tablet clicks, so you may want a mobile bid adjustment, which it will incorporate.
When does Google suggest using Maximize clicks?
When the primary goal is website traffic, or for new campaigns without enough conversion data for Target CPA or Target ROAS. Google says it is not a good choice if you need a specific cost per conversion.