How to Run Remarketing on Google Ads? The Complete Guide
The vast majority of users leave a website without buying on their first visit. They compare, hesitate, get distracted, then leave. Google Ads remarketing exists precisely to reach them again: it allows you to show ads to people who have already visited your site, at the moment their purchase intent reactivates. It is one of the most profitable levers in online advertising, because retargeting a known visitor costs far less than acquiring a new prospect.
But it must be configured correctly: tag, audience lists, network choice and consent compliance. Poorly set up, remarketing wastes budget and annoys your visitors.
Here is how remarketing works on Google Ads and how to launch an effective campaign, step by step.
Key takeaways from this article
- Google Ads remarketing allows you to retarget users who have already visited your website or app.
- It relies on a Google tag that feeds audience lists in your account.
- Several types exist: Display, search network (RLSA), video and dynamic remarketing.
- Dynamic remarketing displays the exact products or services viewed by the user.
- In Europe, Consent Mode v2 is mandatory for collecting these audiences.
What is Remarketing on Google Ads?
The remarketing, also called retargeting, consists of showing ads to people who have already interacted with your brand: a page viewed, a product seen, an abandoned cart. These ads can appear on the Display network, in search results, on YouTube or in Gmail, wherever Google Ads is present. The idea is simple: give a second, a third chance to convert a visitor already familiar with your offer.
Definition: remarketing
Remarketing is an advertising technique that targets users who have already visited a website. A tracking code records their behaviour, then Google Ads shows them personalised ads across its various networks. The terms remarketing and retargeting refer to the same thing: the former is the name used by Google, the latter the generic industry term.
How Does Remarketing Work? The Tag and Audiences
The Google Tag
Everything starts with the Google tag, a small piece of code to install on all pages of your website, directly or via Google Tag Manager. It records visitor actions: pages viewed, products consulted, cart additions. Important point: the tag alone is not enough. It collects the data, but it is your audience lists that decide who will receive your ads.
Audience Lists
Remarketing listes de remarketinglists are created in the Google Ads audience manager, or from Google Analytics. You can segment them finely: visitors to a pricing page, cart abandoners, existing customers. Each list must however reach a minimum size to be served: approximately 100 active users for the Display network, and 1,000 for the search network.
User Consent
In Europe, the collection of these audiences is subject to consent. Consent Mode v2 is mandatory: without it, remarketing to users in the European Economic Area is simply blocked. Your website must therefore have a compliant consent banner, with advertising cookies only activated after acceptance.
Types of Google Ads Remarketing Campaigns
Standard Remarketing on the Display Network
This is the most widespread form. Your visual ads follow the visitor across the sites and apps of the Display network, as well as on YouTube and Gmail. The advantage is reach and brand recall, at a generally low cost per click.
Search Network Remarketing (RLSA)
RLSA, or remarketing for search ads, adjusts your bids and messages on the search network when a previous visitor performs a new query. You can thus bid more aggressively on strategic keywords, exclusively for users who already know you. It is one of the most effective and most underused formats.
Dynamic Remarketing
The remarketing dynamique goes further: the ad automatically displays the exact products or services viewed by the user. It relies on a data feed, via Google Merchant Center for e-commerce. Ideal for relaunching Shopping campaigns, it can multiply the conversion rate by two to three compared to a generic ad.
Comparison of Remarketing Types
|
Type |
Where ads appear |
Ideal for |
|---|---|---|
|
Standard |
Display network, YouTube, Gmail |
Brand recall |
|
RLSA (search) |
Google search results |
Retargeting visitors who search again |
|
Dynamic |
Display network, with viewed products |
E-commerce and catalogues |
|
Customer Match |
All networks, via an email list |
Known clients and prospects |
Tag setup, segmented audiences and ongoing optimization. We configure your Google Ads campaigns to turn your visitors into customers.
How to Set Up a Remarketing Campaign?
Here are the steps to launch a clean and compliant remarketing campaign.
- Install the Google tag: deploy the Google tag across the entire site, via Google Tag Manager or Google Analytics.
- Check consent: ensure that Consent Mode v2 is active and that tags only fire after consent.
- Create your segmented lists: define precise audiences rather than a single catch-all list.
- Choose the campaign type: Display, RLSA, dynamic or video depending on your objective and your traffic volume.
- Design the ads: adapt the message to the intent level of each segment.
- Track and optimise: measure conversions in Google Analytics and adjust bids, frequency and creatives.
Best Practices and Mistakes to Avoid
Effective remarketing comes down to a few simple rules, often overlooked.
- Segment your audiences: a visitor to the pricing page and a visitor who left in five seconds do not need the same message.
- Exclude recent converters: nothing is more annoying than a cart ad sent after the purchase.
- Limit frequency: cap impressions, often three to five per day on Display, to avoid ad fatigue.
- Refresh creatives: renew your ads approximately every four weeks to counter creative fatigue.
- Invest in first-party data: with the disappearance of third-party cookies, your own consented data becomes your best asset.
Doko, Your Google Ads Partner in Lyon
Doko is a human-scale Lyon-based webmarketing agency, based in La Mulatière. A Google Premier Partner, we configure and manage remarketing campaigns for businesses across all sectors, from compliant tagging to conversion tracking. Entrusting us with your Google Ads campaign creation means gaining time and performance.
Tag, audiences, exclusions, incremental measurement: every setting matters. Our Google Ads consultant works on real data and adjusts continuously. Want to turn your visitors into clients? Let’s talk.
FAQ: Remarketing on Google Ads
What is the difference between remarketing and retargeting?
None in substance. Both terms refer to the same practice: retargeting users who have already visited your site. Remarketing is the name used by Google, retargeting is the generic industry term.
How many visitors are needed to launch remarketing?
You need approximately 100 active users over the last 30 days for the Display network, and 1,000 for the search network. Below this, the campaign does not serve: it is better to first generate traffic.
What is dynamic remarketing?
It is a format that automatically displays the products or services viewed by each visitor. It relies on a data feed, via Google Merchant Center for e-commerce, and delivers significantly higher conversion rates.
Is remarketing compliant with GDPR?
Yes, provided you collect user consent. In Europe, Consent Mode v2 and a compliant banner are essential for collecting and using audiences.
Is Google Analytics required for remarketing?
No, the Google Ads tag is sufficient to create lists based on pages visited. Connecting Google Analytics does however give access to richer audiences, based on precise behaviours.
