There’s an old marketing adage – called the Rule of Seven — that says that a consumer needs to hear your message seven times before they’re ready to convert.

While this is far from set in stone, the fact remains that it’s rare for a prospect to convert the first time they’re introduced to your message. In general, the more times someone sees your message or is exposed to your brand, the more likely they are to convert.

Remarketing — also called retargeting — on Google works off of this principle to reintroduce your message to prospects who have already responded positively to it in the past but have yet to convert. This includes people who have visited your website or added a product to the cart without making a purchase.

Google remarketing is a powerful way to increase conversions and ROI because it’s all about targeting people who are already interested in your brand or product and getting them back into your sales funnel. But not all remarketing campaigns are made equal. Here are a few best practices to help you get the most out of yours.

5 Google remarketing tips for driving better results

#1. Segment your remarketing list

If someone has visited your website in the past, in general, it’s a pretty good indicator that they have some kind of interest in your brand or offerings. However, not all of these prospects are equal; some are more likely to convert than others.

For example, if someone bounces (they’ve clicked away without visiting any additional pages) or they’ve spent fewer than 10 seconds on their website, they’re less likely to convert after seeing a remarketing ad than someone who spent more time looking around.

In addition to excluding prospects from your list that are less likely to convert, you should also segment your list according to the pages or product categories they visited, so that you can create more specific ads for each segment of your remarketing list.

Pro tip: Not only can retargeting be used to connect with people who didn’t convert after visiting your website, it can also be used as a cross-promotional tool for existing customers. For example, if someone bought a bag of dog food, they might also be interested in dog toys, treats or other dog supplies.

#2. Update your offer

Knowing your audience is a key part of any successful advertising campaign. With a remarketing campaign, it’s important to remember that your audience are prospects who have already visited your website, seen your offer and decided not to convert.

Sometimes, people just need to see your message again in order to take action. However, some people decide not to convert because the offer isn’t strong enough or the content didn’t resonate with them. Regardless of why someone didn’t convert the first time, it’s smart to update your offer to entice them to take action this time.

Pro tip: Focus on one CTA per ad – Don’t overwhelm your audience by giving them multiple options to engage with your ad. The clearer and more direct you are, the more likely people are to convert, so focus on one call to action per ad.

#3. Test your ads

There are so many different variables that can impact how effective your remarketing ads can be, from the graphics you use to the way you word your CTA.

To get the most out of your advertising dollars, you need to know which version of your ads work best for your audience, so that you can invest more in what’s working and less in what’s not. The only way to know this is to make it a point to test your ads.

But, just because you’ve found a version of your ad that’s working, it doesn’t mean that your job is done. An ad that’s converting well right now may not do so well in a few weeks or months, and there may be an ad variation that gets you even better results.

Experiment with your ads — and keep experimenting with them — so that you dial into what’s driving the best results for your brand.

#4. Test your landing pages

With any advertising campaign, it’s important that your ad points to a landing page that perfectly matches the message in your ads. This provides a better, more consistent experience for your users across every touchpoint, reassuring them and providing them with the direction they need to convert.

Just as it’s important to test your ads frequently to make sure you’re running the best possible variations, it’s also important to test your landing pages. Even small things, like how much space you leave around your call to action buttons, can have a big impact on your conversion rate.

Continuously test out different versions of your landing pages, like the title, offer, images or call to action.

#5. Exclude certain content types

With Google remarketing ads, your ad can follow users on virtually any website, so long as it’s on the Google Display Network. But, you don’t necessarily want every website they potentially visit to be associated with your brand.

For example, you can opt out of displaying your content on a page with content about a sensitive social issue or that has sexually suggestive content, content labeled for certain audiences (mature, teen, general audiences, etc.) or different types of content, like games or embedded videos.

By taking just a few additional steps, you can exclude the wrong sites or types of content from being associated with your brand.

Google remarketing ads can help you get in front of people who have already shown an interest in your brand, increasing your conversions and maximizing your success. Let our ads specialists help you get your remarketing campaigns right. See our plans and pricing.