Ross Wingo — July 12, 2017 — July 12, 2017
When a search advertising client asks what else he or she could be doing in the digital advertising space, my first thought is typically to tell them about retargeting.
Retargeting perfectly complements search advertising, especially for those clients who offer expensive products and services (think private schools, interior design services, and summer vacation packages).
That said, retargeting is actually a solid fit for any business that wants more visibility and website traffic from highly interested prospects, which can help improve conversions, like calls. And these days, there are a plethora of retargeting options available.
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular and effective retargeting tactics out there.
Search Retargeting
Retargeting isn’t just about keeping one’s brand top of mind among previous website visitors. It can actually boost the effectiveness of search advertising efforts as well.
How, you may be wondering? Well, search retargeting is a specific kind of retargeting that enables businesses to show ads to customers who recently executed a relevant search on Google, Yahoo, or Bing.
Search retargeting allows your ad to piggyback on these search engine queries (think more general searches like “new roof options,” as opposed to more refined searches like “tile roof installers near me”). Then, your ads can display on websites to people who searched for these terms after they leave the search engine.
With any retargeting tactic, it’s important to note that you’re able to target individuals within a tight geographic area (if need be). If most conversions come from within a 15-mile radius around a business, then that same targeting should be applied to a retargeting campaign.
Site Retargeting
One study shows that 98% of consumers leave a site without converting. This statistic alone speaks to why it’s important to incorporate site retargeting into your digital marketing efforts.
Site retargeting is a very familiar, well-established remarketing tactic. The most common setup looks like this:
- Business installs a bit of code on its website.
- The code drops a pixel on visiting traffic.
- Banner creative will appear in front of visitors on a variety of different websites after they leave your site.
Whether website traffic is arriving via social media, directory listings, organic search results, or pay per click ads, the website pixel will drop and retarget website visitors with your ad as they move off your page and browse the web on their desktops or mobile devices.
Facebook Retargeting
Facebook is a great channel through which businesses can retarget visitors. Facebook retargeting works the same way as site retargeting, with the only difference being the site where ads are displayed. Advertising on the social media site gives you the advantage of clear and crisp ads which nestle in with other content (the differentiating feature being a small “Sponsored” label). In addition to the regular ole’ desktop version of Facebook, ads can appear in the mobile app.
By virtue of being on Facebook, a user is typically used to viewing branded content like posts and articles so your prospects may be more likely to click. But unlike a news website or niche blog, social media users scroll quickly through content, so your ads need to be eye-catching to stand out in a busy News Feed.
Hot Tips for Display Ads
Banner and Facebook ads are great for highlighting special events, temporary promotions, and new products. I’ve seen excellent results from ad creatives that offer a percentage discount on items for my clients’ prospects.
It’s important to utilize multiple ad sizes with site and search retargeting efforts. At ReachLocal, we typically utilize about five to eight different sizes of the same banner (perhaps with small variations). In today’s world, you have to consider sizes not just for desktop, but also mobile. In contrast, Facebook ads require a standard size but can stand out with compelling messages and calls to action.
These retargeting tactics are natural additions to your search engine marketing efforts and can help you entice prospects back to your website so they can convert into a customer.
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