3 Strategies of Search Remarketing Ads

Search Remarketing Ads is a great way to lead users to a conversion (if they were on our
website, but didn’t convert) or to generate repeat and cross sales.

We use 3 strategies  of Search Remarketing for Google Adwords:

• Conservative
• Moderate
• Aggressive

Let’s see each strategy in details.

Type 1. “Conservative”

Add Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSA) in usual search campaigns. Choose “Only Bid” in targeting audiences.
First, do NOT add any modifiers for RLSA audiences. Just wait for collecting data on a certain campaign for certain audiences.

After time analyze conversion rate and conversion cost (CPA, CPL). If for a certain audience of search remarketing list CPA is lower than in Avg on the campaign, increase bid modifier for this audience +15%.

Collect data again. After analyze:

• keep bid modifier
• increase bid modifier +5% (if results of first bid modifier are good, and we increased leads and keep CPA in target CPL)
• decrease bid modifier -5% (if results of first bid modifier are bad)

Type 2. “Moderate”

Make a copy of the usual search campaigns with basic keywords. Add remarketing lists for search ads in new campaigns, but choose to target type “Targeting and Bid”. At the same time, we have to add the same RLSA audiences in usual search campaigns as Negative Audiences at the campaign level. We need this to delete competition between usual and RLSA campaigns on the same keywords.

For text ads of RLSA campaigns, we use the same text ads as in relevant usual campaigns, or we use custom text ads with special offers (based on previous user experience, previous sales, etc).

For example. We know that a user regularly buys our products or services with avg period of 25-30 days. So we make a remarketing list for search ads with users that bought 25-30 days ago last time. And give them max relevant special offers in ads.

Type 3. “Aggressive”

It’s more aggressive comparing to type 2.

Difference: in moderate RLSA strategy (type 2) we use the same keywords as in usual campaigns. But in aggressive type RLSA campaigns, we use max common high volume keywords:

• pronouns
• prepositions
• high frequency words, etc

The strategy goal is to maximize ads frequency per use. Push-push-push.

Warning

RLSA strategy type 3 ≈  “Scorched earth” tactics.

Use RLSA strategy type 3 very carefully as an exception rather. Bid on not relevant keywords beat URL statistic, account quality score (QS), which can cause a negative user. As a result, we have short-term results and serious consequences for the future (increase in the cost of advertising in other campaigns in this account or for the site, reducing the conversion of users).

Additional Usage of RLSA

Cuts “non-target audience”. Remarketing Lists for Search Ads are effective for negative targeting.

For example. Make in Google Analytics bounce audience (less 15 sec on site without any conversion). Add this audience as Negative audience on campaign level for search campaigns. (it`s effective to use this audience not only for search but for GDN remarketing campaigns).