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The short answer
Maximize clicks does exactly what it says. On an account that counts calls or sales, it buys the cheapest clicks available, which are reliably the ones least likely to call or buy. Oppy lists the campaigns on click or manual strategies that spent recently, on accounts that record enough conversions.
Why it matters
A strategy built to buy clicks has no idea which clicks lead to results. It will happily fill the budget with cheap traffic from broad matches and late night searches, and report a great cost per click.
It is the right strategy for a campaign whose job is to be seen. It is the wrong one when the account has conversion data that could steer the bidding instead.
How Oppy decides
The check only runs once the account has recorded enough conversions, so there is a goal to steer toward.
Checks that weigh money or clicks judge what they find on your own account's numbers, not on one figure applied to every account, so what counts as a problem on a small account is not the same on a large one. Checks on settings read how the account is set up.
When there is too little to go on, the check says so instead of guessing. A finding always comes with the rows behind it, so you can read the evidence before you decide.
| This check | |
|---|---|
| Step of the audit | Spend |
| What it reads | Campaigns, their settings and their results |
| Needs trustworthy conversions | Yes. It stays silent when the tracking step fails. |
| What happens next | Reported in the audit with the rows behind it. The decision stays with you. |
Check it yourself in Google Ads
- In Google Ads, open Campaigns and add the Bid strategy type column.
- Note the campaigns on Maximize clicks or a manual strategy.
- Check whether the account records conversions regularly.
- For each such campaign, ask whether its job is traffic or results.
What to do about it
For campaigns meant to bring calls, leads or sales, move to Maximize conversions, or Maximize conversion value if values are real. Start without a target and add one once the campaign has steady volume.
Pick a quiet week for the switch and note the date, so the learning period is read as such.
Terms on this page
Other checks in this area
The checks next to this one in Bids and targets, each with its own page.