Maximize Conversions vs. Target CPA: A Complete Google Ads Guide

By: Jyll Saskin Gales, Google Ads Coach

Launching a Google Ads campaign is exciting, but it comes with a critical choice: which bidding strategy should you use? Two of the most popular and powerful options, Maximize Conversions and Target CPA, often cause confusion. Are they different? When should you use one over the other?

Think of your bidding strategy as the driving mode for your campaign. Get this choice right, and you're on the fast track to success. Get it wrong, and you could stall before you even leave the driveway.

This complete guide will cover:

• The fundamental difference between Maximize Conversions and Target CPA.
• The clear winner for brand new campaigns.
• When (and why) you should add a Target CPA to an existing campaign.
• What to do if Target CPA isn't performing well.
• Best practices for setting a Target CPA for success.

What's the Difference between Maximize Conversions and Target CPA?

Let's use a simple analogy. Think of Maximize Conversions as putting the gas pedal to the floor. You tell Google, "Get me the most conversions possible within my daily budget, period." The primary goal is volume, and the campaign WILL spend your budget in full.

Target CPA (tCPA), on the other hand, is like setting your cruise control. You tell Google, "Get me conversions, but only if you can do so at or below this specific cost-per-acquisition (CPA)." The primary goal is efficiency at a target price, so the campaign may not spend your budget in full.

For New Campaigns: Which Strategy Should You Start With?

For most brand new Google Ads campaigns, the recommendation is clear: Start with Maximize Conversions and do NOT set a Target CPA.

The reason is simple: for a new campaign, you don't know what you don't know. You may have a goal CPA in mind, but you have no real-world data to know if it's achievable. The biggest risk is setting a Target CPA that's too restrictive. This can kill your campaign before it gets a chance to learn, leaving you with no impressions and no data. The campaign is dead on arrival, and you might mistakenly think "Google Ads didn't work," when the issue was an overly restrictive initial setting.

The Exception to the Rule: The only time you might consider starting a new campaign with a Target CPA is if it's a direct spin-off of a previously successful, high-volume campaign component. For example, if you take a successful asset group from a PMax campaign and move it into its own campaign. Even then, it's wise to set the initial Target CPA 10-15% higher than its historical average to give the new campaign some wiggle room to get through its learning phase.

For Existing Campaigns: When Should You Add a Target CPA?

Once your campaign is up and running on Maximize Conversions, the question of adding a tCPA depends on your goals.

Scenario A: Your Campaign is Stable and You're NOT Scaling

If your Maximize Conversions campaign is humming along nicely and delivering profitable results, the answer is simple: leave it alone. If it isn't broken, there is no need to fix it. You are not required to add a Target CPA.

Scenario B: You Want to Scale Your Campaign (Increase the Budget)

This is the primary reason to switch to a Target CPA. Maximize Conversions and Target CPA behave differently when you increase the budget.

On a Maximize Conversions strategy, a significant budget increase also gives the algorithm permission to increase your bids, which can cause your CPCs and CPA to skyrocket. To prevent this, you should first add a Target CPA to act as a guardrail. This stabilizes your cost-per-conversion while you feed the campaign a larger budget, allowing you to scale more predictably.

Troubleshooting: "My Target CPA Isn't Working!"

Have you ever set a Target CPA only to see your conversion volume plummet? There are a few common reasons why you might get more conversions without a target set:

1. Your Target CPA is Set Too Low: This is the most common culprit. Setting your target below your actual 30-day average CPA is like setting your car's cruise control to 20 mph on the highway. You'll never get anywhere.
2. You Have Low Conversion Volume: Target CPA is a data-driven strategy. If your campaign only gets a handful of conversions each month, the algorithm may not have enough information to optimize effectively.
3. You Haven't Given It Enough Time: Bidding strategies need time to learn. You must allow the campaign to accumulate data after setting the target before judging its performance.

Best Practices for Setting a Target CPA

If you decide it's time to implement a Target CPA, follow these rules for success:

• Base it on reality: Set your initial target at or slightly above your campaign's actual average CPA over the last 30 days.
• Ensure you have enough data: A common best practice is to have at least 30 conversions in the past 30 days before setting a tCPA.
• Be patient: Give the strategy time to learn. Wait for at least 15-30 new conversions to come in before you start making changes or judging performance.

Ultimately, the best strategy depends on your specific goals and campaign maturity. Start with Maximize Conversions to gather data, add a Target CPA to scale efficiently, and if things are working well - don't be afraid to leave them alone.