⚠️ If you use maximize clicks bidding, chances are you are paying too much for your clicks.
Smart bidding is a set of automated bidding strategies in Google Ads that use machine learning to maximize ROAS, conversions, clicks or Impressions. Google looks at historical search behavior and contextual data to predict the likelihood of a conversion, then increases your bids when a goal seems more likely to happen.
Probably, so do this test.
✴️ At this stage you might see some things you don't like (see my screenshot) with clicks clicks costing more than €50.
Maximize Clicks Bidding does exactly what it is asked to do: Maximize Clicks.
When you set a maximum average CPC, this really means average CPC and not maximum CPC. So when you look at your ad group, you will always see something that more or less matches what you asked for, but when you look under the hood, it's a different story.
Some of you may not have this problem because there may be another factor playing with those overrated clicks : Your budget.
If you have a 90% impression share, it doesn't make sense to use maximum clicks because it will do exactly what you're asking it to do: get as manyclicks as possible out of your budget. That is, regardless of the CPC and as long as the AVG CPC is below your limit.