While Google has consistently provided advertisers with substantial control over ad targeting through keyword match types and negative keywords, aligning user intent with searches often remains a challenge. SEM professionals dedicate significant effort to keyword research, list building, and performance analysis, sometimes overlooking the fact that their target audience comprises individuals, not mere keywords. It’s crucial to remember that a teenager and a senior citizen using the same search term, like “hair extensions,” likely have distinct product preferences. Similarly, gender and income disparities can significantly influence desired products or services, even when search queries remain identical.
User intent should be paramount, and platforms like Facebook and Bing have long recognized this by offering demographic targeting. Now, AdWords joins the ranks, empowering advertisers to refine search campaigns based on age and gender.
Accessible within the “Audiences” tab of AdWords search campaigns, the new “Demographics” subtab provides performance data segmented by age and gender. This data enables bid adjustments for specific demographics or even the exclusion of certain age groups or genders from seeing ads on search engine results pages (SERPs).
Demographic Targeting for Search: Real-World Applications
While this feature is novel for many, some nexus-security clients participated in beta testing, showcasing the potency of demographic targeting in search.
A Plastic Surgeon’s Success with Gender Exclusion
It turns out that procedures like breast augmentation are primarily sought after by women. Surprisingly, a large portion of online searches for “larger breasts” originate from men! It seems curiosity knows no bounds.
One of our clients, a plastic surgeon, had long grappled with irrelevant traffic from men on his search ads. Leveraging AdWords’ demographic targeting, he excluded men from seeing ads for female-specific procedures. The outcome? Search costs and cost-per-acquisition (CPA) halved without impacting lead generation!
Free download: A Florist’s Insight into Male Customers
Our florist client discovered a fascinating trend: while men constituted a smaller segment of her website traffic, they exhibited a significantly higher conversion rate and spent more than their female counterparts.
Were these men the epitome of chivalry? Or perhaps their wives had caught them browsing our plastic surgeon’s ads? The mystery remains unsolved. Nevertheless, our florist capitalized on this trend by implementing a bid adjustment to target men more aggressively. This strategy led to a surge in male customers, who now represent the majority of her online sales from search campaigns!
Focusing on the Right Age Group for Retirement Planning
Recently, my mother and I had a conversation about retirement planning. Despite her youthful spirit, she’s nearing retirement and her plan revolves around her 401k, low-risk investments, and years of hard-earned savings. In stark contrast, my millennial self, at 27, banks on a reality TV show win for retirement. My monthly contributions are better left unmentioned. It’s clear that our “retirement planning” searches stem from vastly different needs and perspectives.
One of our clients specializing in retirement planning faced a similar challenge. Generic keywords like “retirement planning” attracted a wide range of ages. While conversions were decent across the board, her ideal clients were older individuals seeking comprehensive retirement planning services.
By utilizing demographic targeting, she narrowed her focus to users over 45. This resulted in significant cost savings and a noticeable improvement in lead quality.
Best Practices for Effective Search Demographic Targeting
Data-Driven Decisions over Assumptions
You might have preconceived notions about your customer demographics. However, before jumping to conclusions, analyze the performance data in the demographics tab to understand how different groups convert on your site.
Remember, user intent trumps demographics. While not the dominant demographic, young knitting enthusiasts exist. Excluding them from your yarn campaign could be a costly mistake. A recent ThinkWithGoogle study highlights how preconceived demographic biases can inadvertently alienate potential customers.
Furthermore, the customer isn’t always the consumer. A middle-aged man searching for “luxury handbags” online is likely shopping for someone else, just like his counterpart browsing a Victoria’s Secret store.
Tailored Ads and Offers for Different Demographics
As illustrated earlier, men and women searching for “leather boots” envision different styles. Creating separate ad groups, each targeting a specific gender with tailored ads showcasing relevant brands and styles, can significantly enhance campaign effectiveness. Directing traffic to gender-specific landing pages further improves user experience.
Embracing the “Unknown” Demographic
When Google cannot definitively determine a user’s age or gender, it categorizes them as “Unknown.” This category might also include individuals who identify as gender non-binary or users below 18 years of age.
While the lack of insights into this group might seem frustrating, excluding them is ill-advised. Google’s inability to classify a significant portion of your traffic makes excluding the “Unknown” audience potentially detrimental to your campaign’s reach and conversions.
Used strategically, Google’s demographic targeting for search campaigns can be a game-changer, especially for businesses catering to specific demographics. We’ve witnessed its success firsthand with our clients. Have you observed any intriguing demographic patterns in your accounts?