Google Ads bidding strategies infographic: four goal cards for conversions, conversion value, clicks and visibility, each listing its bidding strategies with Smart Bidding labels, key facts about auction-time signals and Enhanced CPC, and three steps.

Oct 5, 2026

Google Ads Bidding Strategies Infographic: Pick by Goal

Google Ads bidding strategies by goal: conversions, conversion value, clicks and visibility, which ones are Smart Bidding, and how to choose.

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<a href="https://searchinsider.io/infographics/google-ads-bidding-strategies"><img src="https://searchinsider.io/research/google-ads-bidding-strategies/google-ads-bidding-strategies-infographic.png" alt="Google Ads bidding strategies infographic: four goal cards for conversions, conversion value, clicks and visibility, each listing its bidding strategies with Smart Bidding labels, key facts about auction-time signals and Enhanced CPC, and three steps." style="max-width:680px;width:100%;height:auto;" /></a><p>Source: <a href="https://searchinsider.io/infographics/google-ads-bidding-strategies">Google Ads bidding strategies infographic</a> by Search Insider.</p>

Which Google Ads bidding strategy should you use?

The short answer: Pick the strategy that matches your goal: conversions, conversion value, clicks or visibility. Smart Bidding strategies use Google AI to set a bid for every single auction.

Based on Google Ads Help.

What it shows

Conversions: Maximize conversions, Target CPA (Smart Bidding).
Conversion value: Maximize conversion value, Target ROAS (Smart Bidding).
Clicks: Maximize clicks, Manual CPC.
Visibility: Target impression share.
Target ROAS on Search and Shopping needs 15+ conversions in 30 days.
Enhanced CPC was removed for Search and Display from the week of March 31, 2025.

What to do

First: Set up conversion tracking.
Starting out: Use Maximize conversions or value, then add a target.
No conversion tracking: Use Manual CPC or Maximize clicks.

The walkthrough

What is Smart Bidding?

Smart Bidding refers to bid strategies that use Google AI to optimize for conversions or conversion value in each auction, known as auction-time bidding ^[1]. The four Smart Bidding strategies are Target CPA, Target ROAS, Maximize conversions and Maximize conversion value ^[1]. They use signals such as device, location, time of day, remarketing lists, language and operating system ^[2].

Which bidding strategies optimize for conversions?

Maximize conversions helps you get the most conversions for your budget ^[2]. Target CPA lets you set the average cost per conversion you want ^[3], and you can start using it with no conversion history ^[3]. Google suggests measuring Target CPA over the last 30 days with at least 30 conversions ^[3].

Which bidding strategies optimize for conversion value?

Maximize conversion value sets bids to get the most conversion value while spending your budget ^[2]. Target ROAS is the average conversion value, such as revenue, you want for each dollar spent ^[4]. On Search and Shopping, it needs at least 15 conversions in the past 30 days ^[4].

Which bidding strategies optimize for clicks or visibility?

Maximize clicks gets as many clicks as possible within your budget ^[2], and Manual CPC lets you set your own maximum cost per click ^[5]. Target impression share bids to show your ad at the absolute top, the top, or anywhere on the page ^[2].

What happened to Enhanced CPC?

From the week of March 31, 2025, Enhanced CPC is no longer available for Search and Display campaigns; campaigns that weren't switched now use Manual CPC ^[6].

Sources

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