A/B Test: Max Conv vs VBB Maximize Conv Strategy

Project Title

A/B Test: Max Conversions vs. VBB Maximize Conversions – Bid Strategy Experiment

Client

Tier 1 Higher Education Client*

Objective

What were you testing and why?

Tested two bidding strategies to improve lead volume and lower cost per acquisition (CPA) for a Tier 1 account.

The client’s goal was to drive more down-funnel conversions, with a focus on generating Eligible leads—those most likely to progress to Accepted and Confirmed statuses with start dates.

Timeline

Test Duration: February 1 – March 31 (60 days)

Test Campaigns: Entire Account

Platforms: Google Ads | Budget: $635,752/mn

Hypothesis

Maximize Conversions would generate a higher volume of initial leads, but fewer would qualify as down-funnel conversions (Eligible, In Progress, Confirmed, Accepted-Confirm), resulting in a higher overall CPA for meaningful leads.

VBB (Value-Based Bidding) with Maximize Conversions would drive fewer top-of-funnel leads, but more would convert further down the funnel, resulting in a more efficient use of budget and a higher quality lead pool, despite a higher CPA on the surface.

This test explored volume vs. value trade-offs to align with the client’s long-term enrollment goals.

Test Setup

Account Setup:

Primary Conversion Action: Switched from RFI Leads to Eligible Leads at the account level to better align with client goals.

Secondary Conversion Action: RFI Leads were retained as secondary for full-funnel visibility.

Conversion Value Setup: Implemented value-based bidding with backend-assigned conversion values. These were calculated using the client’s historical data and Google’s value estimation formulas.

Budget: Standard split between programs.

Results Summary

Results are based on pre/post-launch of VBB.

Metric

Pre-Launch

Post Launch

Difference

Eligible

129

140

+9%

Lead to Eligible CVR (%)

26.11%

35.26%

+35%

Program Revenue

$71,567,974

$74,370,664

+4%

RFI Lead

494

397

-9%

RFI CPL

$215.20

$195.58

+16.07%

Key Takeaways

Maximize Conversions outperformed VBB Max Conversions in generating RFI Leads only.

VBB drove a 9% increase in Eligible Leads, confirming it’s the stronger strategy for deeper-funnel conversion performance.

VBB improved ROAS by 4% pre- vs. post-launch, with week-over-week gains expected to continue as data matures.

Recommendations

Begin rolling out VBB Max Conversions across additional Academic Programs.

Start with Tier 1 schools, where lead quality is critical, then gradually expand to Tier 2 and Tier 3 schools.

A phased rollout timeline can be created by the team to ensure smooth implementation and consistent performance monitoring.

Final Summary

This test demonstrated that Value-Based Bidding (VBB) with Maximize Conversions is the more effective strategy for generating high-quality, down-funnel leads aligned with the client’s enrollment goals. While standard Maximize Conversions delivered greater top-of-funnel volume, VBB produced a higher percentage of Eligible leads and improved ROAS by 4% post-launch. As performance data continues to mature, VBB offers a scalable, strategic approach for future campaign optimizations and is recommended for broader implementation across academic programs.