What Is Remarketing in Google Ads: How It Works and When to Use

Remarketing in Google Ads is a way to show ads to people who have already visited your website or used your app. It helps you reconnect with these visitors by displaying targeted ads as they browse other sites or use Google services.

How It Works

Remarketing works by placing a small piece of code called a tag or pixel on your website. When someone visits your site, this code adds them to a special list based on their behavior, like which pages they viewed or actions they took.

Later, when these visitors browse other websites or use Google services like YouTube or Gmail, Google Ads shows them your ads tailored to their previous interest. Think of it like a friendly reminder from a store you visited, encouraging you to come back and complete your purchase.

Example

This example shows how to add a Google Ads remarketing tag to a website's HTML to track visitors for remarketing.

html

<!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Ads: AW-123456789 -->
<script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=AW-123456789"></script>
<script>
  window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
  function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}
  gtag('js', new Date());

  gtag('config', 'AW-123456789');
</script>

<!-- Event snippet for Remarketing -->
<script>
  gtag('event', 'page_view', {
    'send_to': 'AW-123456789'
  });
</script>

Output

No visible output; this code tracks visitors for remarketing in Google Ads.

When to Use

Use remarketing when you want to reconnect with people who showed interest but didn't complete a goal, like buying a product or signing up. It is especially useful for online stores, service providers, and content creators who want to increase conversions.

For example, if someone added items to their shopping cart but left without buying, remarketing ads can remind them to return and finish the purchase. It also helps build brand awareness by keeping your business visible to past visitors.

Key Points

• Remarketing targets past visitors with tailored ads.
• It uses a small code snippet on your website to track visitors.
• Helps increase conversions by reminding interested users.
• Works across websites, YouTube, Gmail, and Google Display Network.
• Can be customized by visitor behavior and time since last visit.

Key Takeaways

Remarketing in Google Ads shows ads to people who visited your site before.

It uses a tracking code on your website to build audience lists.

Remarketing helps increase sales by reminding visitors to return.

You can customize ads based on visitor actions and timing.

It works across many Google platforms and partner sites.