When it comes to search remarketing, the usual suspects often mentioned are customizing ad text, tweaking bids, and expanding keywords. However, this limited view underestimates the true potential of Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSA), a tool available since 2012.

Let’s delve into three powerful, unconventional RLSA strategies that are particularly beneficial in highly competitive markets or when working with a tight budget.

First, a quick overview:

Understanding RLSA

In essence, RLSA acknowledges that people familiar with your brand behave differently than those who aren’t. It enables you to target search ads specifically to individuals who have recently visited your website, indicating prior brand exposure.

Here’s the mechanism: when someone visits your site, they’re added to your remarketing list. Subsequently, you can present them with tailored ads when they search for your keywords on Google.

The effectiveness of RLSA stems from targeting a brand-aware audience, resulting in significantly improved click-through and conversion rates – often double or even triple those of standard search ads targeting unfamiliar users less likely to convert.

The Drawback of Conventional RLSA

The primary limitation? Limited search volume. RLSA can shrink impression volume considerably, often by as much as tenfold.

It doesn’t magically create more searches, which is a significant drawback. However, there’s a silver lining.

Unleashing the Potential of Enhanced RLSA

On average, RLSA leads to:

• Three times higher click-through rates.
• A 50% reduction in cost-per-click.
• Triple the conversion rates. Ready to maximize RLSA’s capabilities? Let’s explore three impactful strategies:

1. Exclusive RLSA

The Strategy: Combine RLSA with budget-friendly campaigns designed to expand your audience reach.

If budget constraints or low impression share are concerns, it might be time to shift gears entirely and prioritize RLSA campaigns exclusively, phasing out non-RLSA search ads.

This model suggests redirecting your non-RLSA search budgets towards more economical audience growth campaigns, such as:

While it might seem counterintuitive, it’s a strategy worth considering.

We’ve established that limited search volume is a challenge with RLSA. The solution lies in expanding the pool of individuals familiar with your brand, a task achievable through cost-effective display and social media advertising.

This strategy is powerful because it aligns with fundamental marketing principles:

A significant increase in the size of your remarketing cookie pools, for instance, tenfold, logically leads to a proportional increase in conversions.

By reallocating budgets from non-RLSA campaigns to initiatives that feed your RLSA audiences, you achieve:

• A greater volume of conversions.
• Improved click-through and conversion rates.
• Reduced cost-per-acquisition (CPA).

2. Supercharged RLSA

The Strategy: Integrate RLSA with demographic bidding within your search campaigns.

Both Google Ads (previously Google AdWords) and Bing Ads provide demographic targeting options for search ads, allowing you to tailor your bids based on gender and age groups (e.g., 18-24, 25-34, or 65+).

Facebook, too, offers Audience Insights, enabling you to identify your target audience and refine bids based on age and gender demographics.

Supercharged RLSA leverages the combined power of demographic bidding, remarketing, and precise keyword targeting. Here’s how it works:

• Demographic bidding: You’re reaching potential customers who are more likely to be able to afford your products or services.
• Remarketing: You’re connecting with individuals who have recently shown interest in your offerings.
• Keyword targeting: You’re engaging with individuals actively searching for products or services like yours at the precise moment they’re ready to purchase.

By focusing on a highly targeted audience that meets all three criteria, you optimize your paid search ad campaigns for maximum impact. Utilize high-engagement content or offers to further amplify results. The outcome?

Promoting an exceptionally engaging piece of content or a highly sought-after offer can lead to remarkably low costs-per-click and a surge in organic traffic, potentially attracting a large volume of visitors with minimal ad spend.

To identify such high-performing content or offers, consider this approach:

1. Create: Develop compelling and memorable content that resonates with your target audience.
2. Amplify: Strategically promote your best-performing content to your target market affordably using social media and display ads, public relations efforts, or even traditional media channels.
3. Tag: Implement a system to tag website visitors with cookies, building your remarketing audience.
4. Filter: Refine your audience further by applying behavioral and demographic filters.
5. Remarketing: Re-engage your targeted audience through display ads, social media ads, and RLSA campaigns, promoting relevant offers or content.
6. Convert: Capture qualified leads or drive sales.
7. Repeat: Continuously iterate and optimize your process.

In essence, incorporating demographic targeting for search enhances the effectiveness of your RLSA campaigns.

3. Collaborative RLSA

The Strategy: Explore opportunities to implement RLSA in collaboration with your partners or even your competitors.

In Google Ads auctions, prices are influenced by what other advertisers are willing to pay. Notice how, in the example provided, Advertiser 1 secures a higher position at a lower cost due to a superior Quality Score:

Consider the landscape of luxury car advertising. Major players like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, and Porsche often compete for the same keywords.

The result? High costs-per-click, diminished conversion rates, and ultimately, higher prices passed on to consumers.

Wouldn’t it be more efficient and yield better returns on investment if these brands could segment the search inventory to reach their respective target audiences directly? Absolutely! Implementing RLSA and customer match lists could achieve this.

The benefits are twofold: reduced costs-per-click and increased conversion rates for all parties involved.

Conclusion

While conventional approaches to RLSA might seem somewhat limited, its true power is unlocked when combined with creative marketing strategies that substantially expand your reach.

By implementing these three strategies – Exclusive RLSA, Supercharged RLSA, and Collaborative RLSA – you can significantly enhance the success of your RLSA campaigns. Remember, RLSA is about more than just fine-tuning ad copy, bids, and budgets; it’s a powerful tool for connecting with the right audience at the optimal moment.