Targeting is where campaigns are either won or quietly bled dry.
You can have the best copy, budget, and creative in the world—but if you show it to the wrong people at the wrong time, you're just funding Google's revenue, not yours.
Google Ads offers an arsenal of targeting options. The trick is knowing when (and how) to use them without overlapping, overspending, or underperforming.
Search Targeting
Search campaigns are still Google Ads' crown jewel. Here's how to aim them right:
1. Keywords & Match Types: Precision vs. Scale
Choosing the right keyword match type determines how tightly your ad aligns with user intent.
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💡 Tip: Always build a negative keyword list from day one. It's cheaper to block bad traffic than to fix bad performance later.
2. Dynamic Search Ads (DSA): Google’s Auto-Pilot for Search
Dynamic Search Ads skip keywords entirely. Instead, Google crawls your website and matches search queries directly to your landing pages.
When to Use:
- Large websites with constantly changing inventory
- Filling keyword gaps in your coverage
- Finding new high-performing queries organically
Key Watchout:
Dynamic Search Ads can waste spend if your site structure is weak.
Bad pages = bad matches = bad spend.
3. Audience Targeting
Audience targeting adds an intent layer beyond keywords. It’s how Google guesses who is behind the search and how ready they are to act.
4. Custom Audiences: First-Party Gold
Custom Audiences allow you to upload your own data (CRM lists, customer lists) into Google Ads.
Best Uses:
- Retargeting lost leads
- Upselling existing customers
- Running Account-Based Marketing (ABM) on Search and Display
💡 Tip: Enrich your first-party lists with job titles, industries, or recent behaviors to make audience segmentation surgical, not sloppy.
5. Affinity & In-Market Audiences: Google’s Segmentation Playbook
- Affinity Audiences: Based on long-term interests (e.g., “Fitness Buffs,” “Tech Enthusiasts”)
- In-Market Audiences: Based on near-term purchase intent (e.g., “CRM Software Buyers,” “Home Decor Shoppers”)
When to Use:
- Affinity for broad reach (top of funnel)
- In-Market for mid-to-bottom funnel conversion pushes
6. Lookalike / Similar Audiences: Scaling Smart
Google automatically finds new users who behave like your existing customers. Lookalikes work best when the original audience (seed list) is high-quality.
When to Use:
- Scaling campaigns without diluting lead quality
- Expanding reach while maintaining contextual relevance
7. Google’s AI-Driven Audience Signals: Smart Layering
With Performance Max and broad match evolution, Google now heavily relies on AI to interpret intent signals:
- Search history
- Content consumed
- Location patterns
- App activity
Smart Practice: Instead of fighting Google's AI, guide it.
Feed it with strong conversion signals (via enhanced conversions, CAPI integrations) to optimize your targeting faster.
8. Location Targeting & Geo-Modifiers
Geography changes everything: demand, cost-per-click, competition intensity.
Key Location Targeting Options:
- Country
- Region/State
- City
- Radius targeting (e.g., 10 miles around your store)
- Zip/postal code targeting
Geo-Modifiers: Adjust bids based on location performance. Example: +25% bid adjustment for New York (high LTV users), -15% for rural areas with lower conversion rates.
💡 Tip: Audit actual user locations regularly. Google's "People in or interested in your location" setting often includes tourists, bots, and irrelevant clicks if unchecked.
9. Device & Time-Based Targeting
Timing and device matter more than marketers realize.
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Smart Tip:
For B2B SaaS, kill your ad schedules on weekends unless you specifically target international or remote teams.
Retargeting & Remarketing Strategies
Retargeting is where you harvest the low-hanging fruit.
1. Website Visitors: The Classic Play
Set up remarketing lists for:
- All visitors
- Visitors to specific pages (pricing, demo, product features)
- Time spent on site (segment high vs. low engagement)
High-intent visitors deserve high-intensity retargeting.
2. YouTube Viewers: Capturing Engaged Attention
Retarget users who watched specific videos or reached a certain watch time threshold (e.g., 50% watched).
💡 Tip:
Video viewers are warmer than cold audiences but colder than website visitors. Adjust bids and messaging accordingly.
3. CRM Retargeting: Precision Strike
Upload CRM segments, like MQLs not yet closed, and retarget them across Search, Display, and YouTube.
Best Practices:
- Align ad copy with pipeline stage
- Personalize based on known data (industry, persona)
4. Cart Abandoners (for E-commerce): Closing the Sale
Users who abandoned carts are 2–3X more likely to convert if retargeted within 24 hours.
Best practices:
- Serve urgency-based ads ("Items in your cart are almost gone!")
- Offer small incentives (free shipping, 10% off)
In a glance:
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