If you want to reach an audience potentially interested in your product or service, Google Ads targeting is the tool that can enable you to reach them. However, there are so many targeting methods among which it is easy to get lost. Here then is the guide from Isola in which we explain:
- what is meant by Google Ads targeting
- what are all the possible methods to set it up
- Some simple and effective tips from our experts
What is meant by Google Ads targeting
Google Ads targeting is a tool that makes online advertisements more targeted and, therefore, better performing. Specifically, through well-set targeting, you are able to reach only your target audience, i.e., only those users who exhibit the typical characteristics of your regular customer.
In fact, proper creation of Google Ads campaigns must inevitably go through a thorough consideration of your buyer personas. Only by identifying aspects such as age range, gender, habits, interests, physical places frequented, as well as websites read and many others, will you be able to unearth them in the infinite galaxy of the web.
Targeting methods precisely allow you to target your ads to only certain users, excluding others.
All methods of targeting Google Ads (formerly Adwords)
There are many targeting methods available, and Google Ads (formerly AdWords) itself divides them into 3 broad categories:
- Targeting by audience
- Content Targeting
- Targeting by device
Below you will find a complete list, but for further discussion we refer you to the official Google Ads guide. By the way, this comes across as a true “online manual” and is one of the channels through which to study in order to obtain the Google Ads Certification.
Targeting Google Ads by Audience
There are 6 different methods of audience targeting, i.e., considering users’ characteristics based on the personal data they have released or their online behavior:
- Demographic data-Select information such as city of residence, places frequented, location of interest, age group, or gender.
- Affinity – Assesses passions, hobbies or interests of users.
- In-market – Your ads appear only to those who are already actively seeking services or products similar to those you offer.
- Personalized by intention – By analyzing what words are typed in online searches and the sites viewed by users, you find out what their search intent is (i.e., with what intention they search for something on the web). This way you can appear in all those searches whose intention, precisely, is to purchase products or services similar to yours
- Remarketing – You show your ads to people who have already visited your site or interacted with your business in the recent past. However, for the latter method, we leave you with our in-depth discussion on the Remarketing Ads or Retargeting.
- Similar audience segments – You also target your online advertising to users with interests and characteristics related to specific lists you are already tracking (e.g., who has seen your website or who has contacted you)
Google Ads targeting of content
Content targeting methods take into consideration the topics that are covered on the different sites on which you can appear as an advertiser to select only those that are relevant to your offer. Specifically, they are:
- Topics – Allows you to appear on pages that deal with topics related to your business.
- Placement – Choose exactly which sites to place your ads on.
- Content Keywords – You appear when a user types in the Google search string the keywords you are interested in. So, if you have a pizzeria in Rome and the user is looking for a pizzeria in Rome, he can find you as a solution and-if you have structured the ad well-make a reservation. This is the most powerful targeting method, because thanks to this you appear at the exact moment when the user is looking for something that you are able to provide. After all, keywords are precisely what has allowed the search engine to build all its success over the years.
- Expanding to the display network for search – In this way, you leverage unused budget in the search network to appear on the display network at times that Google judges propitious to get you results.
Targeting Google Ads by Device
Finally, device targeting methods consider display devices, and they are:
- Computer – Direct your advertising only to those who connect via a minimum 7-inch desktop.
- Mobile devices – Your target audience will be the smartphone-connected user.
- Tablet – In this case, those accessing the Internet from a tablet will be able to view your ads.
- TV screens – Available only for video campaigns, this targeting method makes you appear on smart TVs and is very useful for example for YouTube ads
As you may have noticed, the methods available are numerous and constantly being updated, precisely because Google Ads wants to give you the greatest number of chances to get interested customers. Getting down to specifics, if you are a car dealership, you may decide not to show your listings to those under 18 precisely because it is extremely rare for a minor to buy a car from you.
So, you need to think of targeting as a kind of “Guess Who” game between you and the search engine: each method allows Google to discard users you are not interested in, leaving standing only users who are similar to your buyer personas.
As always, theory can be more complicated than practice: so let’s see some advice directly from our experts!
Isola ‘s tips for simple yet effective Google Ads targeting
Before going into detail with advice from Isola, a disclaimer is necessary: it is impossible to say which Google Ads targeting is correct a priori. Each digital advertising campaign is on its own and must be reasoned out based on one’s personal goals. Not only that: a lot of testing is also needed to arrive at thebest optimization.
Let’s find out now what the team of our web agency regarding:
- the research network
- the display network
Targeting Google Ads for the search network
About targeting for search network ads (i.e., those that appear on Google’s results page when the user searches for something online), Isola recommends that you set up at least 4 methods that almost always prove their worth:
- Demographic data, especially age and gender;
- Geographic data, i.e., where the person is located, where they are interested in going, and where they have been in the recent past;
- Keyword, which is then what has allowed Google to succeed: choose it carefully and analyze the search intent well so as not to risk wasting budget by intercepting users who are not useful to your business;
- Times for your online ads to appear
Targeting Google Ads for the display network
Instead, for targeting on the display network (i.e., all those ads that appear during normal online browsing and not as a result of a Google search), our professionals generally rate as performing:
- Keywords, because, as we saw a few lines above, through these we can understand what the user needs and propose ourselves as a possible solution;
- Topic, to appear in the places where the users most interesting to you are concentrated;
- Placement, to choose yourself the portals on which you want to have a listing;
- Personalized list by intention, so you can be featured in all searches not directly related to your company, but still related.
Ultimately, selecting the right target audience is both indispensable and difficult, and the risk is to enter into a very costly activity such as search engine digital advertising without making a profit. By the way, read our article on How much Google Ads can cost!
If you want to optimize your investment, the best choice is to take advantage of our web marketing agency for the services of Google Ads management and creation of online advertising. In doing so, you will have at your disposal a highly specialized team and an entire communication agency that will work as a team to enable you to achieve your goals by implementing all activities closely related to the success of the project. For example:
- the creation of landing pages, the creation of websites and the e-commerce development
- the copywriting
- lo graphics studio
- the social media management
Contact us now and let’s find a way together to appear only to your buyer personas on the web!
