The Current Opportunities in Remarketing

The concept of Remarketing is now familiar to all online marketers. Using banners, text ads, or videos, users who have already visited a page are targeted. The likelihood that these users will purchase a product is higher than for users who visit a page for the first time.

For this reason, it is sensible to analyze the performance of these returning users separately and possibly increase bids for this target group.

Remarketing has developed significantly in recent years, and the options for targeting returning users have become very extensive. Our article provides you with an overview of the different possibilities in both the Display and Search networks.

Remarketing in the Display Network

To use a Remarketing list in a Display campaign, it must contain at least 100 active users.

Remarketing Lists in AdWords

Automatically Created Lists by Google

In the 'Shared Library' under 'Audiences,' you will find Remarketing lists automatically created by Google, such as:

• All Visitors: People who have visited pages with your Remarketing tags. Membership: 30 days.

  • General Visitors: Users who visit your website but have not viewed specific products. Membership: 30 days.

  • Users who viewed a product: People who viewed specific product pages on your website without adding anything to the cart. Membership: 30 days.

  • All Users with Conversions: Users who triggered a conversion on your website based on your conversion tracking tag. Membership: 180 days.

  • Users who abandoned the cart without purchasing: Users who added products to the cart but did not complete the purchase. Membership: 30 days.

In this context, membership means how many days a user's cookie should remain on your Remarketing list.

You can use these lists as they are or create new lists that meet your exact expectations.

Create Your Own Remarketing List

• To do this, click on "+Remarketing List" and then on "Website Visitors."

• Enter a name for your new list and define your target audience.

The following options are available to you:

Fig. 1: Audiences for creating a Remarketing list

• Then enter the appropriate URLs and define the duration (for how many days a user's cookie should remain on your Remarketing list).

• Click "Save."

Once enough users (100) have been collected in the list, you can use the list in your campaign.

Similar Audiences

Through the information users provide while surfing the internet and by analyzing visited pages, Google creates a profile of each user (age, gender, location, etc.). The goal is to show the user relevant ads that have a high probability of being clicked on, followed by a product purchase.

In the 'Shared Library,' you will find lists of 'Similar Audiences.' These lists are automatically created by Google. They are based on your current Remarketing lists. Google looks for users with similar characteristics and interests as your visitors to create the list.

We recommend adding these lists to your campaigns and monitoring the performance of these new audiences. If the performance of an audience group develops particularly well, you should increase the bid for this list.

Using 'similar audiences' increases the likelihood of finding prospective customers and targeting them effectively.

More information about 'similar audiences' can be found here.Dynamic Remarketing

With dynamic Remarketing, you take it a step further. Here too, you target users who have already visited your page, but with a product that the visitor has already viewed.

For this form of Remarketing, you must create a product data feed and dynamic display ads. Additionally, the following code must be integrated on the product pages, the shopping cart, and the thank-you page in the Data Layer:

{'event': 'fireRemarketingTag',

'ecomm_prodid': prodid,

'ecomm_pagetype': 'product',

'ecomm_totalvalue': totalvalue}

Using Remarketing Lists in Multiple AdWords Accounts

Lists created in one account can be used simultaneously in other accounts. The prerequisite is that the accounts are linked to the same manager account.

This feature allows you to attract users from your page to a new page.

Create Remarketing Lists in Google Analytics

Create a Remarketing List in Google Analytics

In addition to the Remarketing lists you've created in your AdWords account, we recommend setting up Remarketing lists in Google Analytics.

In Google Analytics, you can define goals and measure conversions that you cannot track with AdWords. Examples include session duration, pages per visit, or an event (user action, e.g., clicking a button). You can also get information about the source of your visitors (direct, organic, Facebook, etc.) that led to the page visit.

To create a Remarketing list in Analytics, go to "Admin" and click on "Audience Definitions" and "Audiences."

Select the data view and target account and create your Remarketing list.

Fig. 2: Creating a Remarketing list in Google Analytics

• Click on "Behavior" and enter 120 for "Session Duration" to reach users who have spent at least 2 minutes on your page.

• Finally, click "Apply," name your audience, and click "Save."

Your new list will be automatically imported into AdWords and can be used like all other Remarketing lists.

Smart Remarketing Lists

Smart lists are generated by Google Analytics to maximize conversions. Google Analytics analyzes user behavior and creates a list of users most likely to convert. If Google Analytics does not find enough users among your site's visitors, data from similar companies will be used.

Prerequisites for Smart Remarketing Lists

To use Remarketing lists from Analytics in AdWords, you must:

• Link your AdWords and Google Analytics accounts

• Have administrative rights in Google Analytics

• Adjust your privacy policy

More information about the policy requirements for Google Analytics Advertising features can be found here.

Remarketing in the Search Network

For a Remarketing list to be used in a Search campaign, it must contain at least 1,000 active visitors or users.

Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSA)

As in the Display network, we recommend analyzing the performance of users who have already expressed interest in your products and services separately in Search and Shopping campaigns.

The automatically created Remarketing lists by Google can be used in Search and Shopping campaigns, provided they contain enough users (1,000). For the past few months, lists with similar audiences can also be used in Search and Shopping. However, this feature is currently in the testing phase (BETA). Note that the duration in the Display network (540 days) can be longer than in the Search network (180 days).

How to Integrate the Remarketing List into Your Search Campaign

• Go to the campaign where you want to insert a Remarketing list.

• Click on the "Audiences" tab and on the "+ Remarketing" button.

• Select an ad group.

• For settings, go to "Interests and Remarketing" and select "Remarketing Lists" or "Similar to Remarketing Lists."

• Find the list you want to use. For targeting settings, choose "Bid only."

• Save the settings.

After that, you can adjust your bid. To do this, click on edit and then on "Change Bid Adjustment."

Fig. 3: Changing a bid adjustment

Using Remarketing lists can significantly boost your campaign performance.

What We Can Do for You

If you need support in the area of AdWords, contact internetwarriors GmbH. Our certified AdWords specialists are happy to assist you.