What Google says
In Google's own words: “Maximize conversions uses Google's AI to set bids to help get the most conversions for your campaign while spending your budget.” (Google help center)
What it does
You define what a conversion is, a form submission, a booked meeting, a qualified opportunity, and the strategy spends the budget chasing as many of those as it can. Because it takes no target CPA or ROAS, there is no number to guess wrong, which is exactly why it is the sensible starting point on a new campaign.
Starting here on day one
Common guidance is to build data on Maximize clicks first and switch after roughly 15 conversions in 30 days. We disagree, because Maximize clicks builds click data rather than conversion data, and the early window gets spent optimizing toward the wrong outcome. The full argument, including the honest counter-case, is in why we start every campaign on Maximize conversions. Whatever you choose, expect a learning period and make sure the conversion action is one that matters commercially. Where you want a cost target rather than maximum volume, Target CPA is the Google control that aims at it. Since June 2026 Google shows it as a standalone strategy called "Target CPA" rather than "Maximize conversions with a Target CPA"; the bidding is the same, and Maximize conversions without a target is unchanged. (On Meta the equivalent is a cost cap, not a bid cap.)
A worked example
Say a campaign has a $100 average daily budget but has only been spending about $60 a day on Manual CPC. Switch it to Maximize conversions and Google will try to spend the full $100, so spend can jump by roughly $1,200 a month, while monthly charges stay capped at $3,040 (30.4 x $100). If you cared about cost per conversion rather than volume, that is the moment to set a Target CPA instead. Illustrative numbers, not a client result.
Common questions
Do you need conversion history to use Maximize conversions?
Not strictly. Common guidance recommends roughly 15 conversions in 30 days before switching to it, but that is a recommendation rather than a hard requirement, and you can select it on a new campaign.
What is the difference between Maximize conversions and Target CPA?
Maximize conversions spends the budget for as many conversions as possible with no cost target. Target CPA adds an average cost you are willing to pay per conversion, which the algorithm treats as an instruction, so it needs enough data for the number to be realistic.
How many conversions per month do you need to use Maximize conversions?
Google sets no minimum for Maximize conversions: you need conversion tracking, and Google says Smart Bidding can be turned on without prior data. For judging results it recommends periods with at least 30 conversions, such as a month or longer.
Will Maximize conversions spend my whole budget?
Yes, by design. Google says it will try to fully spend your average daily budget, so a campaign that has been underspending can see spend rise significantly, and Google advises against reading the Lost IS (budget) column on this strategy. We cover that column in lost impression share: budget vs rank.
What is the difference between Maximize conversions and Maximize conversion value?
Maximize conversions treats every conversion equally and spends the budget to get as many as possible. Maximize conversion value spends the budget to get the most total value, so it suits accounts where conversions are worth different amounts.