Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out. Happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance regarding your retargeting situation on Google Ads without relying on customer lists.
Understanding Website Retargeting on Google Ads...
Okay, so the standard way to do website retargeting on Google Ads is by using what's called the Google Tag. This is Google's version of a pixel, and it's specifically designed to track visitors on your website and add them to audience lists within your Google Ads account. Think of it like building a list of everyone who walks through your digital front door.
Your situation where you're only capturing data right at the end sounds like you might only have the tag or conversion tracking set up on the final confirmation or thank-you page. To build those crucial website visitor lists for retargeting, you need to install the Google Tag across your entire website, not just on the final conversion step. This way, you capture *everyone* who visits any page, even if they don't complete the purchase or final action.
Why Capturing All Visitors Matters for Audience Size...
The reason capturing all visitors is so important is directly related to the issue you're facing with small audience lists. Google Ads, like most platforms, needs a certain minimum number of users on a remarketing list for it to be eligible to serve ads. Generally, for search or display, you need at least 100 active users in the last 30 days. If your tag is only firing on a page few people reach, your lists will naturally be too small to use effectively for retargeting campaigns.
By implementing the Google Tag site-wide, your audience lists will grow with every single visitor, giving you much larger pools of people to retarget. This significantly increases the likelihood of your lists meeting Google's minimum requirements and actually serving ads.
Beyond Website Visitors: Other Google Audience Types...
While website visitors are usually the bread and butter of retargeting, especially when you don't have customer lists, Google does offer other ways to build audiences for remarketing:
- -> YouTube Viewers: If you have a YouTube channel linked to your Google Ads account, you can retarget people who watched your videos, subscribed, liked, or commented. This can be a great way to re-engage people who have already shown interest in your content.
- -> Google Analytics Audiences: If you have Google Analytics set up and linked to your Google Ads account, you can create more segmented and advanced audiences based on user behaviour on your site (e.g., visitors who viewed specific pages, spent a certain amount of time, completed certain micro-conversions). This requires GA setup but gives you more flexibility.
Focusing on building these different audience types gives you more options for reaching interested users.
The Power of Retargeting (And Why You Should Prioritise It)...
Retargeting is absolutely critical for paid advertising performance. People rarely convert on their first visit. They might be researching, comparing options, or simply get distracted. Retargeting allows you to stay in front of them after they've left your site, reminding them about your product and hopefully bringing them back to complete the desired action.
We've seen firsthand with clients, particularly in SaaS and eCommerce, that a strong retargeting strategy can significantly lower overall acquisition costs and increase conversion rates. It helps re-activate users who abandoned a cart or didn't sign up initially, capturing that valuable interest that was already shown.
Recommended Actionable Solution:
| Action | Details | Why It Helps |
|---|---|---|
| Install Google Tag site-wide | Ensure the Google Tag is on every page of your website, not just conversion pages. | Captures all website visitors, building larger audience lists for retargeting. |
| Verify Tag Implementation | Use Google Tag Assistant (browser extension) to check the tag is firing correctly on all pages. | Confirms the tag is working as intended and collecting data. |
| Create Website Visitor Audiences | Set up remarketing lists in Google Ads based on "All Visitors", "Visitors of specific pages", etc. | Organises your captured visitors into usable audience segments for campaigns. |
| Explore Other Google Audiences | Link YouTube/Google Analytics to Google Ads and create audiences there if applicable. | Provides additional pools of engaged users to retarget beyond just website visitors. |
By implementing these steps, you should be able to build the necessary audience lists to run effective retargeting campaigns on Google Ads, even without traditional customer lists.
Figuring out the nuances of tracking, audience building, and campaign structure can be a bit complex, especially when you're focusing on getting a new product off the ground. Sometimes having an expert eye look over things can really help speed up the process and avoid costly mistakes. If you'd like to discuss your specific setup in more detail and get a tailored strategy, we're happy to offer a free consultation.
Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh
