How do you use remarketing lists for search ads (RLSA) to target high-value customers?

2 How to create RLSA in Google Ads?

In order to create RLSA in Google Ads, you must have a Google Analytics account linked to your Google Ads account and enable remarketing and advertising features in Google Analytics. Additionally, you must have a remarketing tag on your website or app that collects data about your visitors and sends it to Google Analytics. The Google Tag Manager can be used to easily install and manage your remarketing tag. Once these prerequisites are fulfilled, you can proceed with the following steps: go to the Audiences section in your Google Ads account and click on the blue plus button; select Website visitors as the source of your audience; name your audience and define the rules for your segment (page URL, time on site, events, transactions, or custom dimensions can be used, and multiple rules can be combined with AND or OR operators); set the membership duration (1-540 days) based on business goals and customer journey; save the audience and wait for it to populate with users who match the criteria.

3 How to apply RLSA to your search campaigns?

Once you have created your RLSA, you can apply them to your existing or new search campaigns in Google Ads. You can use two different strategies to use RLSA: targeting or bidding. Targeting means that you only show your ads to users who are in your audience list and who search for your keywords. On the other hand, bidding means that you adjust your bids for users who are in your audience list, regardless of whether they search for your keywords or not. It is possible to use either strategy or a combination of both, depending on your objectives and budget. To apply RLSA to your search campaigns, follow these steps: go to the Audiences section in your Google Ads account and select the campaign or ad group that you want to modify; click on the blue pencil icon and choose Edit ad group targeting; select the audience list that you want to apply and choose the targeting setting (Observation for bidding only or Targeting for targeting only or both targeting and bidding); enter the bid adjustment percentage (from -90% to +900%), which is how much you want to increase or decrease your bids for users who are in your audience list; save your changes and monitor your campaign performance.

4 How to optimize your keywords and ads for RLSA?

RLSA can help you optimize your keywords and ads for your high-value customers. You can use more specific, relevant, and persuasive keywords and ads that match their intent and expectations. For instance, you can use broad match or phrase match keywords to capture more queries from your audience, as well as dynamic search ads to automatically generate headlines based on the content of your website. Additionally, you can use negative keywords to exclude irrelevant or low-quality queries, as well as ad extensions to enhance your ads with additional information. Furthermore, you should use ad copy that speaks to your audience's needs, pain points, and benefits, such as dynamic keyword insertion to insert the user's query into your ad headline or description, or emotional triggers like urgency, scarcity, exclusivity, or social proof.

5 How to measure and improve your RLSA performance?

Using RLSA can help you improve your search campaign performance, but you need to measure and analyze your RLSA performance to identify what works and what doesn't. The Audience report in Google Ads can show how audience segments perform compared to your overall campaign or ad group. The Segment feature in Google Ads allows you to compare performance by different dimensions, such as device, network, time, or location. The Attribution report in Google Ads lets you see how your RLSA influence the customer journey and conversion path. And the Experiment feature in Google Ads can be used to test different RLSA strategies. By measuring and improving your RLSA performance, you can optimize your strategy accordingly.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?