Digital advertising has become a major driver of business growth in Sydney, especially with competition intensifying across service industries, retail, real estate, trades and professional services. Many business owners and marketers struggle with one of the biggest Google Ads decisions: should you use maximise clicks or maximise conversions as your bidding strategy? At Volcano Marketing, we work with local businesses every week who are unsure which option will bring the strongest return on ad spend.
This guide breaks down how each bidding strategy works, where each one performs best and how you can match the right approach to your specific campaign goals.
Before choosing a bidding strategy, you must understand what these two options actually do. Although they belong to Google’s automated Smart Bidding family, they behave differently, especially when budgets are tight or when your business is expecting fast, measurable outcomes. Here, we explain their core purpose, how Google uses your data and the way each method allocates your budget from day to day.
When choosing a bidding strategy in Google Ads, you’re telling Google what outcome matters most to your business. Whether you're operating a small service business or running a large e-commerce campaign, the bidding method you select influences how your budget works, the type of traffic you attract and the speed at which your campaign gathers meaningful data. Here, we break down the core purpose of Maximise Clicks and Maximise Conversions so you can determine which aligns more closely with your immediate and long-term marketing goals.
Clicks aim to:
Conversions aim to:
Google’s ability to optimise your campaign lies in the depth of data it collects and analyses in real time. Every impression, click, behaviour pattern and search term feeds into Google’s machine-learning system, allowing it to predict which users are most likely to engage with your ads. The sophistication of this system, however, varies depending on whether your campaign is optimised for clicks or conversions.
Clicks use simpler signals, such as:
Conversions use deeper, more complex signals, including:
Your chosen bidding strategy doesn’t just influence performance; it directly affects how your budget is allocated throughout the day. Two campaigns with identical budgets can behave entirely differently depending on whether they're optimised for clicks or conversions. This section explains how each strategy distributes spending, what it prioritises and how that impacts the quality and consistency of your results.
Clicks budget behaviour:
Conversions budget behaviour:
Choosing the “better” bidding strategy isn’t as simple as selecting the one that sounds more powerful. In reality, each approach serves a different purpose depending on your stage of business growth, the type of leads you want and how much data your campaigns already have. Many businesses switch between the two at various points because their goals eventually evolve. This section gives you a clearer understanding of how each strategy performs in the real world so you can determine which one is likely to produce stronger results for your marketing objectives.
Maximise Clicks is often seen as the most accessible bidding method because it doesn’t require complex data, conversion tracking or historical performance. But before choosing it, it’s important to understand how it shapes user behaviour, traffic quality and daily performance. This extended introduction explains its real impact so you can make an informed decision that aligns with your advertising goals.
Pros:
Cons:
Maximise Conversions is a more advanced and strategic option designed for businesses ready to focus on outcomes rather than traffic. It works best when Google has enough historical data to predict which users are most likely to convert. This introduction expands on the conditions required for success so you understand exactly what to expect from this strategy, including both its strengths and its limitations.
Pros:
Cons:
Every business has unique goals. Some want the phone ringing immediately, while others want to build brand awareness before driving sales. This walks you through different business scenarios so you can clearly match each approach to the environment where it performs best.
Maximise Clicks works best when:
Maximise Conversions works best when:
Selecting the right Google Ads bidding strategy isn’t just a technical choice; it’s a strategic decision that can influence your visibility, lead quality and overall profitability. Every business is at a different stage of growth, and your approach to bidding should reflect where you are today and where you want to be in the coming months. A startup launching its first campaign will not use the same strategy as an established company tracking hundreds of leads each month.
Choosing a bidding strategy starts with understanding your campaign’s purpose. Not every business needs conversions straight away, and not every campaign is built for volume. Some are building brand awareness, while others are ready to compete for high-intent leads. Ensuring your strategy supports your broader marketing objectives rather than working against them.
Use Maximise Clicks if your objective is:
Use Maximise Conversions if your objective is:
As your campaign matures, the data you collect will reveal whether your existing strategy continues to serve your goals. This explains when it makes sense to transition to a new bidding approach, helping you protect your budget while improving campaign efficiency and lead quality over time.
Switch to Maximise Conversions when:
Switch to Maximise Clicks when:
No bidding strategy will perform at its best unless your tracking is accurate. Understanding which metrics matter and how to evaluate them ensures you’re optimising based on real performance rather than assumptions. This outlines the core elements every business should monitor to ensure their campaigns are profitable, sustainable and aligned with long-term goals.
Always track:
Helpful tools include:
There is no single “best” bidding strategy, only the best one for your current business goals. Maximise Clicks is perfect for building data, testing new campaigns and driving traffic, while Maximise Conversions excels when your business needs measurable results and a stronger return on investment. With the right approach, both can be powerful tools for businesses wanting to grow. If you’d like help choosing or optimising your Google Ads bidding strategy, Volcano Marketing can tailor a campaign that aligns perfectly with your goals and delivers real, trackable results.
