Maximize Conversions vs Target CPA Bid Strategy: Which Is Best for Lead Gen Campaigns?

Dec 7, 2023

When managing a lead gen campaign in Google Ads, many want to know which automated bid strategy they should use to maximize results; Maximize Conversions or Target CPA (tCPA)?

For new campaigns, I typically recommend either Max Clicks or Max Conversions. After you're starting to generate some conversion data (i.e. leads), you can start experimenting with Target CPA.

Lately, I've been seeing better results with Target CPA vs just using Max Conversions. With Max Conversions, the cost per conversion will fluctuate quite a bit which can be frustrating. Target CPA has been giving me more consistent results when compared to Max Conversions. You just want to make sure you're not setting your Target CPA too low.

I seem to get better results by erroring on the higher side when setting a Target CPA for a campaign. If it's too low it can have a negative impact on conversion volume and you may find your campaign struggling to spend the budget.

I think it's worth testing both Maximize Conversions and tCPA on your campaign. Whichever gives you the best result with the least amount of effort is the winner in my book.

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