Retargeting

What is Retargeting?

Retargeting (also called remarketing) is an advertising strategy where you show ads to users who visited your website but didn't convert. A user comes to your site, looks around, and leaves without converting. Later, this user sees your ad on Google, YouTube, or other websites.

The logic is both psychological and practical: the user already had enough interest to visit your site. An additional ad or message could give the "push" to come back and convert. In B2B, retargeting is one of the highest ROI channels because users are already warm.

Technically, retargeting works through pixels (Google pixel, Facebook pixel) - a tracking code on your website that tracks all visitors. Later you can "retarget" these users with targeted ads.

Retargeting in B2B Google Ads Context

In B2B, retargeting is critical for several reasons:

1. B2B buying process is not linear. A user comes today, looks around, thinks "not relevant right now". Next week they have a problem and remember: "Wait, there was tool X". A retargeting ad is shown, and they come back.

2. Competition is high. You're not alone in the Google search results. A user compares options. Retargeting reminds them, "Hey, we're here too".

3. High conversion rate. Retargeting typically has 3-10x higher conversion rate than cold traffic. Why? Because users are already warm.

4. Low CPA. Because conversion rate is high, CPA is low. Often 50-80% cheaper than cold traffic acquisition.

5. Long sales cycle needs multiple touchpoints. B2B buyers need time. Retargeting reminds them throughout the entire consideration phase.

Ideally, you use retargeting as the 2nd or 3rd touchpoint in a multi-touch funnel.

Types of Retargeting / Remarketing Campaigns

1. Standard Retargeting (Display Ads)

Show image ads to users who visited your website. Across the entire Display Network (thousands of partner websites). Good for branding and awareness.

2. Remarketing in Search (RLSA - Remarketing List for Search Ads)

When a user who already visited your website searches for a relevant keyword, you preferentially show them your ad. High intent + warm = very effective.

3. Remarketing on YouTube

Show video ads in YouTube videos to previous site visitors. You can use skippable ads (cheap) or non-skippable (more expensive).

4. Dynamic Remarketing / Product Ads

Show specific products the user looked at on your website. "You were interested in Product X - here it is again!"

This converts very well, but only if you have an e-commerce-like product feed. B2B can also use versions of this (specific features, use cases).

5. Email Remarketing / List-based

You have an email list (newsletter subscribers, customers). Google and Facebook can identify these users and show them ads. Very valuable.

6. Engagement Remarketing

Retargeting of users who visited specific pages or took specific actions. For example, "All who visited the pricing page", or "All who downloaded the whitepaper".

Retargeting Setup for Google Ads

Step 1: Install Google Pixel

The Google Tag Manager code on EVERY page of your website. This tracks visitors. When a user leaves your website, Google can identify them later.

Step 2: Define Retargeting Lists

Different lists for different audiences:

• All website visitors: Everyone who was on the site
• Landing page visitors: Only those who saw the product page
• Demo request non-converters: Clicked demo CTA but didn't convert
• Pricing page visitors: Seriously interested (looking at prices)
• Article readers: Consumed blog content (warm but not ready to buy)

Step 3: Create Campaigns per List

Different messages for different lists:

• Pricing page visitors: "Get started now" CTA, price focus
• Demo request non-converters: "Why we're better than Tool X", comparison focus
• Article readers: "10-minute webinar on this topic", education

Step 4: Segmentation and Frequency Capping

Don't be aggressive. Don't show the same ad 50x per week. That annoys people and backfires. Frequency cap: max 3-5 impressions per user per week.

Step 5: Bidding Strategy

Retargeting should be bid higher than cold traffic because of better conversion rate. Example:

• Cold Google search traffic: 5 EUR CPC bid
• Remarketing display: 1 EUR CPC bid (because higher conversion rate, can be cheaper)
• Remarketing in search (RLSA): 8 EUR CPC bid (because highest intent + warm)

Retargeting ROI and Metrics

Retargeting typically has excellent ROI:

These numbers come from real B2B data. Retargeting is not "nice to have" - it's a "must-have" channel.

Retargeting Best practices

Practice 1: Segment Aggressively

Not all visitors are the same. Pricing page visitors are much closer to conversion than blog readers. Different message for each segment.

Practice 2: Use Dynamic Ads

Show users relevant content. "You read an article about Feature X - here's Feature X in action."

Practice 3: Frequency Capping

Show ad max 3-5x per week. Too much annoys people and looks unprofessional.

Practice 4: Landing Page Specific

When a user comes from a retargeting ad, they should land on a relevant landing page, not the homepage. If they came from "pricing comparison", show the pricing comparison landing page, not the general page.

Practice 5: Use Video Remarketing

YouTube video ads have very high recall and engagement. Use for more complex messages than display ads.

Practice 6: Sequential Messaging

Day 1: "Reminder - we're here" ad

Day 5: "Here are 3 reasons why we're better" ad

Day 10: "Limited offer - book demo today" ad

The message should evolve over time, not stay the same.

Common Retargeting Mistakes

Mistake 1: Too Aggressive Ads. "Why did you leave my page???" is not persuasive. Be helpful, not aggressive.

Mistake 2: Too High Frequency. Users see your ad 20x per week. They block your ads or roll their eyes.

Mistake 3: No Segmentation. All visitors see the same ad. Blog readers should see different messaging than pricing page visitors.

Mistake 4: Not Optimizing for Mobile. Mobile display ads need different creatives than desktop.

Mistake 5: Forgot to Install the Pixel. If the pixel isn't installed correctly, you don't track users. Check regularly.

Mistake 6: Only Display Ads, No RLSA. RLSA (remarketing in search) often has even higher ROI than display. Use both.

Retargeting Tools and Platforms

• Google Ads (Display, Search, YouTube): Biggest reach, best integration with Google Analytics
• Facebook / Meta Ads: Good for branding and video, also high reach
• LinkedIn Ads: For B2B enterprise, targeted retargeting of LinkedIn website visitors
• Criteo: Specialist in retargeting, good for e-commerce
• Adroll / RollWorks: Multi-channel retargeting platforms

At Leadanic, we use structured retargeting as a core channel in Google Ads campaigns. With proper segmentation and sequential messaging, B2B customers typically see 300-500% ROI from retargeting campaigns.