Google Audience Targeting
Audience targeting is the most significant and ongoing development Google have made in how marketers can find relevant audiences that is both cost effective and scalable.
Audience targeting:
is ubiquitous across Search, Display, YouTube and Performance Max campaigns
is leveraged by smart bidding algorithms
connects across all marketing objectives / stages of the user journey
(build awareness, influence consideration, drive action & retention)
should be considered and reflected in the tone of voice and creatives of ad assets
Remarketing
Customer Match
Custom Segments
In-Market*
Life Events*
(Similar Audiences)
Custom Affinity
Affinity
Detailed Demographics
In other words, audience targeting (in one guise or another) has a role to play across every part of Google Ads. There are nine distinct targeting categories to choose from each with their own sub-categories. There is also more information about them in the table here.
*More details below as these are fundamental to growth and new user acquisition
Google has consolidated and simplified both campaign types and which audiences are applicable to them but it’s worth considering that “Life Event” targeting used to be only available on gmail and video campaigns. My assumption was that “Life Events” audience where proprietary to Google based on signed-in user signals (being signed into a google account e.g. gmail or a Chrome user profile). I see no reason why this would have changed but yet “life event” targeting is available across more campaign types than before….
“If you are using audience targeting on the Display network e.g. remarketing, you are doing “Programmatic” advertising without paying any overheads to DSPs or requiring DV360. “Programmatic” just means using non-contextual signals with real-time bidding”
Audience Types and Insights
Whether you’re a start-up launching a new service or a well established business taking stock of the effectiveness of it’s current marketing activity, understanding your audience is key. Understanding what Google, Facebook, etc thinks it understands about your audience is also key! Does LinkedIn have a predefined category for your target audience? How big is it? How much will it cost to reach them? Is it worth it?
Your target audience will be active in lots of different places and (technically) fall into three categories.
1st Party Audiences
(Yours)
These are your very own website visitors, customers or logged-in users. You can find out more about them by Segmenting them in your Google Analytics account or what social platforms like Facebook or LinkedIn knows about them.
2nd Party Audiences*
(Theirs but like yours)
These are potential brand new customers that the platform e.g. Facebook thinks look similar to a segmented list of users who have done something relevant on your website. Requires Pixel to be set-up and a high volume action to be defined.
3rd Party Audiences
(Theirs)
Created by the platform itself based on its own users and categorised based on self declared or inferred information. Useful when you don’t have enough website traffic of your own yet or want to gauge the competition and size of the market.
“* I’ll leave in 2nd party (similar and lookalike) audiences as they are still relevant for Google Ads with Chrome Users and on Facebook”
“Life Events” Audiences
People who’ve recently or about to have a “life event” or some sort of “milestone”. Yes, Google can predict the future! Think of Life Event audiences as Google’s own pre-defined “1st Party” audience which they are giving you direct access to. As they are Google proprietary, they are only (used to be) available for Google owned platforms / channels such as Gmail and YouTube. Now that Life Events have been expanded to include Display (and Performance Max) Campaign types I’d hazard a guess that “In-Market” audiences may play a role in helping to define these audiences where purchases are a factor such as:
Home Renovation
Moving / Purchasing a Home
New Pet
Channel / Platform (where it can be found)
Display, You Tube & Performance Max (which incorporates gmail ads where this targeting option used to reside)
Marketing Objective (when to use)
Drive Action / Influence Consideration / Build Awareness
“Life Events” Targeting Options
- Moving
- Moving Soon
- Recently Moved
- New Pet
- Adding Cat to Household Soon
- Adding Dog to Household Soon
- Recently Added Cat to Household
- Recently Added Dog to Household
- Purchasing a Home
- Purchasing a Home Soon
- Purchasing First Home Soon
- Recently Purchased a Home
- Recently Purchased First Home
- Purchasing a Home Soon
- Retirement
- Recently Retired
- Retiring Soon
- Taking a Trip
- Currently Traveling
- Preparing for Upcoming Trip
- Recently Returned from Trip
- Researching Destinations
- Becoming an Empty Nester
- Last Child Moving Out Soon
- Last Child Recently Moved Out
- Business Creation
- Recently Started a Business
- Starting a Business Soon
- College Graduation
- Graduating Soon
- Recently Graduated
- Home Renovation
- Recently Renovated Home
- Renovating Home Soon
- Job Change
- Recently Started New Job
- Starting New Job Soon
- Marriage
- Getting Married Soon
- Recently Engaged
- Recently Married
In-Market Audiences
In-Market audiences keep getting bigger and more refined. Do you want to target users who are actively looking to buy the product or service you sell within the last 30 days or so? Of course you do! In-Market audiences are the Holy Grail. There are also over 700 to choose from (see link below).
Marketing Objective (when to use)
Drive Action (purchase) / Influence Consideration
Special Features
This is your go-to default audience to target on Display, etc and to add to Search campaigns as observational (to assist bidding and provide insights)
The most prolific audience categories are:
Travel (280+)
This covers pretty much every country and capital city and a few more high-density cities in the world not forgetting every mode of transport and type of accommodation
Autos & Vehicles (120+)
Every imaginable type of transport and brand seems to be here
Home & Garden (80+)
From white goods, to DIY, home decor or plumbing services
“In-Market” Targeting Options
A more user-friendly version than Google provides is available here: In-Market audience segments list details
Affinity Audiences
I’ve never had a very high opinion of affinity audiences as a targeting method. My primary view of this remains unchanged as you can read below. I will concede that used wisely and under certain business circumstances they can play a role. I’d also be more inclined to include them to provide “some sort of better than nothing” signal to Google for its bidding strategies if there wasn’t much else to go on.
There is nothing interesting or useful to say about affinity audiences. They basically target almost everyone as almost anyone seems to be a “shutterbugs” (anyone with a smart phone) or “TV Lovers” (anyone who watches TV).
Marketing Objective (when to use)
Build Awareness (or never)
Special Features
Leave this audience type to the luddites (or brand marketers)
“Affinity” Targeting Options
A more user-friendly version than Google provides is available here: Affinity audience segments list details
A slight detour to discuss Demographic targeting by way of Search campaigns
“Observation” Audiences for Google Search Campaigns
Search Campaigns generally make use of Audience targeting on “observation” mode only and as such it makes sense to add as many vaguely relevant options as possible. Better to be safe than sorry and I also view it as another layer of positive data signals to provide to Google for bidding (even if Google decide this is no longer necessary).
“DETAILED DEMOGRAPHICS” TARGETING IN GOOGLE ADS
- Employment > Company Size
- Small (1 - 249)
- Large (250 - 10k)
- Very Large (10k+)
- Home-ownership Status
- Home Owners
- Renters
- Marital Status
- Single
- In a relationship
- Married
- Education
- Currently at University
- Bachelor's Degree
- Advanced Degree
- Parental Status > Parents
- Parents of Infants (0 – 1 years)
- Parents of Toddlers (1 – 2 years)
- Parents of Pre-Schoolers (3 – 4 years)
- Parents of Primary-Schoolers (5 – 11 years)
- Parents of Teens (12 – 17 years)
Basic Demographic targeting
Basic Demographics can be set in order to narrow targeting, for example to target only males. If all basic demographic options are selected then the targeting is not narrowed and “extra” insights based on these demographics can be reported on within Google Ads. In the UK and other countries e.g. in Europe, we’re not allowed to target based on sensitive household income data.
“As long as all of the basic demographics are ticked this will not limit targeting on Search Campaigns”
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Paid Search Costs and Competitiveness
What, Where & How do your customers search to find your business? How many of them are there? How much budget will it require to compete in the auction and deliver against your objectives? What are your competitors up to in this space? Is there an audience browsing the web actively researching and looking to purchase what you sell that you can reach via Display Ads?
Google’s Keyword planner is invaluable in answering these types of questions. For an depth look into just how detailed and what insights can be achieved have a look at our analysis of the car insurance industry in the UK.
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LinkedIn Audiences
If you are targeting B2B or are curious how the Job Title’s from your Facebook audience may also appear on LinkedIn then Campaign Planner is a great place to start. With the LinkedIn Insights Tag installed on your site and a valid audience you can find out about your customers based on their LinkedIn profile potentially unlocking an overlooked seam for your sales team to mine.
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Meta (Facebook) Audiences
Facebook audience data is second to none. A 2015 Study showed that Facebook’s algorithm can know more about a person than their best friend or partner with as few as 300 likes.
Within Facebook Business Manager there is an Audience Insights section which can sometimes provide some insights but mainly reassures and validates assumptions.
Go to Ads Manager to create detailed audiences including location, demographics, interests and behaviours. Save these audiences, create custom audiences based on onsite behaviour. Use this data to find out how big this audience is, how many of them you can reach based on available budget and traffic estimates to your site.
There is also a Campaign Planner tool to visualise reach & frequency campaigns if you have money to burn.