Marshall seeks baby attire for his son through online channels. Upon searching for “baby onesies” on Google, he searches for a while but fails to locate any appealing options. However, the following day, he spots a paid advertisement featuring an appealing and reasonably priced blue baby onesie, prompting him to make the purchase. In this scenario, Marshall discovered the ad due to search retargeting—a form of ad targeting based on his Google search history. Without it, he may not have stumbled upon the company or its baby products.
This illustrates why leveraging search retargeting can be advantageous for your business as well.
But what precisely is search retargeting, and how does it differentiate from conventional site retargeting? Below, we delve into the distinction between search retargeting versus site retargeting, as well as how to execute a search retargeting strategy. Continue reading to enhance your knowledge, and then subscribe to Revenue Weekly for additional digital marketing insights from an agency boasting over 1,100 client testimonials!
Search retargeting is an advertising technique that focuses on serving ads to individuals based on their Google search history. This enables you to showcase your ads to users who have searched for specific keywords. For instance, if you are a clothing company that also sells plaid skirts, and someone searches for “plaid skirt” on Google, and you have targeted that keyword with your ads, they might see one of those ads later that day.
Search retargeting ads are generally display ads, which means they appear on the sidebars of third-party websites.
When you hear the term “search targeting,” it can be easy to confuse it with site retargeting. However, these two strategies are significantly different. Site retargeting, also known as remarketing, is a process where ads are targeted at individuals based on their previous interaction with your website. The rationale is that individuals who have visited your site have a vested interest in you, making them more inclined to respond positively to your ads.
With site retargeting, you install cookies or pixels on your site to track user traffic to specific pages. Then, you direct ads to those users. For example, you might target someone who abandons their cart with an ad encouraging them to complete their purchase.
Search retargeting operates differently. It does not target individuals based on the web pages they have visited, but rather based on their Google searches. With search retargeting, users do not need to have interacted with your business previously. Another key difference is that while site retargeting often employs paid search ads—ads that appear at the top of search results—search retargeting is primarily limited to display ads on other websites.
Search retargeting is a highly beneficial strategy as it allows you to refine your ad focus to only the most relevant users. Relevance is crucial because irrelevant ads will not drive conversions. Despite its differences from site retargeting, search retargeting still operates on a similar premise: Your most valuable users are those who have already shown interest in what you offer. However, whereas site retargeting focuses on users who have indicated interest in your specific brand, search retargeting targets individuals who have demonstrated interest in your products or industry in general. If you sell bicycles, you could target people who search for bicycles.
The benefit of Google search retargeting is that you can exclusively target users with a specific set of interests and follow up on their searches with content tailored to captivate and encourage clicks.
When initiating a search retargeting campaign, it is essential to ensure everything is correctly set up.
The objective of targeting specific searches is to minimize wasted ad spend, but a poorly planned campaign could have the opposite effect. Here is a straightforward three-step guide to setting up a Google search retargeting campaign!
1. Select your keywords
The initial step in establishing a search retargeting campaign is to select the keywords to target. This is a fundamental step, as it will determine which searches and users your ads will reach. Aim to target keywords highly relevant to the ads you plan to display. If you sell kitchenware and want to advertise your pans, don’t target keywords about pots. Your targeted searches should be variations of what you are attempting to sell with this campaign.
It is advisable to focus your retargeting on long-tail keywords—that is, those that are several words long. While you can target short-tail keywords, they will not reach a very specific set of users, so it’s not advisable for your campaigns.
2. Craft your ads
Once you have compiled a list of keywords, it’s time to create your ads. As with the previous step, relevance should be at the forefront. Each ad should be designed specifically for the keyword or keywords it is targeting. Since search retargeting ads are display ads, they need to be visually compelling. Create ads that will stand out on a page, and if you’re advertising a particular product, include a high-quality photo of it. Be sure to include your target keyword somewhere in the ad’s text as well.
3. Monitor results
When you are ready to launch your ads, you can do so through Google Ads, but don’t stop there. Once your ads are live, use Google Ads to monitor their performance. Google Ads will allow you to view metrics like click-through rate (CTR) and conversion rate, so you can see which ads are working for you and which ones aren’t. If you notice a particularly underperforming ad or keyword, you can pause it to avoid wasting your budget. Successful ads can provide insights into what advertising strategies might work well in your other campaigns.
Need assistance in developing an elite Google search retargeting strategy?
WebFX can help! With over 28 years of digital marketing experience, we are well-versed in Google advertising and would be delighted to assist you in launching your campaign. Our paid advertising services will not only optimize for search retargeting but also for site retargeting and paid search ads. You will also receive a dedicated account representative to keep you informed about everything we do for you. To get started with us, simply call us at 888-601-5359 or contact us online today!
