How to Use Google Ads Remarketing

Key takeaways

You can use Google Ads remarketing to target potential customers who have visited your website or clicked on one of your ads. 

• To set up Google Ads remarketing, create a remarketing tag and configure audience sources within your Google Ads account.

• Use Exclusion lists to skip targeting users who don’t meet your audience requirements.

• You can select or create one or more triggers that will govern the display of remarketing ads.

Discover the steps you can take to implement Google Ads remarketing, including the benefits of using this function as part of your digital marketing strategy. Afterward, if you’re ready to learn how to boost your sales, enroll in the Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Professional Certificate. You’ll have the opportunity to learn how to attract and engage customers through digital marketing channels like search and email.

How does remarketing in Google Ads work?

Google Ads remarketing allows you to target potential customers who have visited your website or clicked on one of your ads. It does this by attaching a code that tracks browsing so that when they visit another site or social media feed that is part of the Google Display Network, they see one of your ads. You can choose who goes on your retargeting ad list and customize what they see. 

Steps to use Google Ads remarketing

To use Google Ads remarketing effectively, we have created a step-by-step guide:

1. Sign in to your Google Ads account.

2. Access the Shared library > Audience manager > Audience sources.

3. Click Details > Set up tag.

4. Create a Google Ads remarketing tag.

5. Enter Conversion ID. 

6. Input triggers.

7. Click Save > Preview > Publish.

Let's break each step into more detail to gain a deeper understanding. 

1. Sign in to your Google Ads account. 

Assuming you already have one, sign in to your Google Ads account at https://business.google.com/us/google-ads/.

2. Access Shared Library and audience.

Once you’ve logged in, click on Tools and then click on Shared Library. In this window, select Audience Manager and then Audience Sources from the menu. 

3. Set up tag. 

You may receive a notification saying Google doesn’t detect a marketing tag. This is where you set one up. Click Details > Set up tag. Expand the Google Ad tags section and scroll down to select Use Tag Manager. You’ll receive a Conversion ID and a Conversion Label (optional) that you can input for use on your website. 

4. Create a Google Ads remarketing tag.

In the Tag Manager, choose New Tag > Tag Configuration > Google Ads Remarketing. 

5. Enter conversion ID. 

Input your Google Conversion ID and Conversion Label (if necessary) into the required fields.

6. Input triggers.

Click Triggering. This is where you can spend time adding the triggers that will cause the remarketing ad to show for users. Choose from existing triggers or create new ones.

7. Save, preview, and publish.

Once you’ve chosen your triggers, click Save. You can then preview the changes before clicking Publish.

How to use remarketing in Google Ads

Now you know how to set up Google Ads remarketing, but it’s also important to understand how to use it as part of an effective strategy. Here are our tips:

• Select your audience: Think about who you are looking to reach. Your audience could be people who viewed a product page, people who spent a certain amount of time on a specific page, or people based on a specific demographic.

• Track activity: Use Google UTM parameters and Google Analytics to identify where traffic comes from and which marketing channels work best. 

• Factor in your budget: Use Exclusion lists to avoid targeting people who don’t meet your audience requirements. 

Read more: How to Connect Analytics to Google Ads

What are the two types of remarketing?

Based on your marketing goals, you can choose between standard and dynamic remarketing. With standard remarketing, you can target your ads toward users who have previously visited your website. Dynamic remarketing extends this approach by displaying ads featuring the specific products or services users previously viewed on your site.

Brand awareness and increased sales

Remarketing offers several benefits by allowing you to reach potential customers who have shown an interest in your products. Showing up in a potential customer's feed or view on a web page increases familiarity and awareness of your business. People buy from brands they know and trust. Therefore, the more visible you are, the better your chance of making a sale.

Check out our free resources on digital marketing

Subscribe to Career Chaton LinkedIn to get weekly updates on popular skills, tools, and certifications. Learn more about digital marketing with our other free resources:

• Watch on YouTube: 5 AI Tools That Will Transform Your Digital Marketing Strategy

• Discover career paths: Digital Marketing Career Progression: Job Levels & Skills to Advance

• Take a quiz: Digital Marketing Skill Assessment

Accelerate your career growth with a Coursera Plus subscription. When you enroll in either the monthly or annual option, you’ll get access to over 10,000 courses.

Build job-ready skills with Coursera Plus

Start 7-day free trial

• 
• 
• 
• 

Start 7-day free trial