It’s officially the end of an era—I’ve stopped using Manual CPC and Maximize Clicks bid strategies in 99% of the campaigns I set up and manage. The only scenario where they still make sense is for ultra-low-budget campaigns. Even then, all they really achieve is cheaper clicks, which rarely translate into more leads or sales in my experience.

Why Manual CPC & Maximize Clicks Don’t Work

Most advertisers in a given auction use automated bid strategies like Maximize Conversions, which increases bids for clicks that are more likely to convert based on historical data. If you’re in the same auction but focused solely on getting cheap clicks, you’re more likely to attract low-quality traffic that doesn’t convert.

What About New Campaigns With Fewer Than 15 Conversions a Month?

Many Google Ads managers believe you should only switch to the Maximize Conversions bid strategy once a campaign reaches at least 15 conversions per month. Until then, they recommend using Manual CPC or Maximize Clicks. I used to think the same way—until I tested it.

I ran an experiment on two different campaigns that were generating fewer than 15 conversions per month. I switched them to Manual CPC and let them run for a month. Both campaigns saw conversions drop even further. After switching them back to Maximize Conversions, conversion volume rebounded.

For the past several months, I’ve also been launching new campaigns directly with Maximize Conversions, and they’ve consistently performed better than those that started with Maximize Clicks or Manual CPC.

The Potential Risk With Maximize Conversions

While Maximize Conversions generally works better, it’s important to be aware of a potential downside: it can create a negative feedback loop, generating more low-quality leads. Just as Maximize Clicks is known for attracting lower-quality traffic, Maximize Conversions can sometimes do the same with leads—especially if you’re tracking calls and form submissions as Primary Conversions.

To mitigate this risk, tracking Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) as a Primary Conversion can help. Another way to improve lead quality is by adding sales conversion data and using Maximize Conversion Value or Target ROAS bid strategies. Focusing on conversion value instead of just volume helps train Google’s algorithm to optimize for higher-quality leads and better overall performance.