Why Remarketing Might Be the Smartest Ad Campaign You’re Not Running Yet
- Kelly Wykstra
- May 16
- 2 min read
Ever visited a website, clicked away, and then saw their ads “follow” you around the internet for days?
That’s not a coincidence. That’s remarketing—and it’s one of the smartest, highest-ROI tools in your Google Ads arsenal.
If you're not already using it, you're leaving money on the table. Let’s walk through what it is, how it works, and why it matters.
What is Remarketing?
Remarketing (also called retargeting) is the strategy of showing ads to people who have already visited your website or interacted with your brand. These are warm prospects—folks who already know who you are.
Instead of starting from scratch with cold audiences, remarketing helps you stay top-of-mind, build trust, and bring visitors back to convert.
How Google Tracks Visitors (Without Getting Creepy)
Google uses a small piece of code called a tag or pixel that gets added to your website. When someone visits your site, the pixel drops a cookie or logs their device ID (depending on privacy settings), and that person is added to a remarketing audience list.
From there, you can:
Show them display ads across the web
Retarget them in YouTube ads
Appear in their Google Search results again
Even tailor Performance Max campaigns to bring them back
💡 Good to know: These audiences are anonymous. You’re not tracking individuals—you’re reaching behavioral segments.
Why It’s So Effective
Here’s why remarketing campaigns tend to outperform other types of ads:
Warm audience = higher conversion ratesThese people already know you. They’re not cold traffic.
Lower cost-per-click (CPC)Google often charges less to reach remarketing audiences than cold ones.
Shorter buying journeyIt may take 5+ visits for someone to convert. Remarketing shortens the cycle.
Scales with your site trafficAs more people visit your site, your remarketing list grows automatically.
What Kind of Ads Work Best?
When retargeting, your ad copy and visuals need to meet people where they left off.
Some high-performing ad types include:
Product Reminders
Great for e-commerce. Show people the exact product they viewed but didn’t buy.
Service Follow-Ups
Remind prospects to schedule that consult, book that appointment, or finish a quote request.
Limited-Time Offers
Use urgency: “You left something behind” or “Still interested? This deal ends soon.”
Value-Driven Content
Not everyone is ready to buy. Use retargeting to promote blogs, testimonials, or videos that build trust and educate.
Where These Ads Show Up
Google Display Network (millions of websites, apps, and YouTube)
YouTube Pre-Roll (those skippable video ads)
Google Search (for returning searchers)
Gmail Ads (inside promotional tabs)
You don’t need to pick just one—remarketing can span multiple platforms for full-funnel coverage.
Where It Fits Into Your Funnel
Think of remarketing as your "second chance" engine.
Visitors often leave your site before they’re ready to buy—but if you bring them back with a compelling offer or reminder, the odds of converting go way up.
It’s the perfect complement to:
Search campaigns (retargeting people who clicked but didn’t convert)
SEO (re-engaging organic visitors)
Social media traffic (warming up followers into buyers)
Comments