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Illustration: audience targeting in Google Ads
Google Ads Advertising Setup

Google Ads Audience Targeting

We define who your customer is and set up Google Ads audiences: in-market buyers, site visitors, demographics and devices. Ads stop showing to everyone and spend the budget on people similar to those who already buy. We choose the mode for each audience so as not to cut impressions where they bring in enquiries.

What targeting setup includes

In search, people say what they need themselves, and audiences clarify who they are. We describe your customer and turn that description into Google Ads settings, so the budget goes to people who are more likely to buy. Click an item to read more.

Audience segments

People who are choosing similar services right now or are into your topic
  • In-market buyers

    Google singles out people who have been actively searching and comparing similar services in recent days. It is the “warmest” ready-made audience in Google Ads.

  • Custom segments

    We build an audience from the queries people typed and the competitor sites they visited. This way ads find those looking for exactly your service.

  • Interests

    For display ads we add people with a stable interest in the topic. In search we use them for observation only, so as not to lose reach.

Result: ads reach people who are choosing.

Remarketing

We bring back people who have visited the site but not enquired yet
  • Visitor lists

    We collect those who looked at services, prices or contacts. These people already know you, and an enquiry from them costs noticeably less.

  • Excluding customers

    Those who have already enquired are removed from ads. The budget is not spent on people who already work with you.

  • Cookie consent

    Remarketing only works with the visitor’s consent. We set up the banner and Consent Mode v2 so lists are collected lawfully and without losses.

Result: a second chance at a lower price.

Demographics

Age, gender, income and the device most enquiries come from
  • Demographics

    If your customers are mostly people of a certain age, the report shows it. Unsuitable groups are excluded so you do not pay for their clicks.

  • Phones and computers

    We look at which devices bring enquiries. If the site is awkward on a phone, it shows in the cost per enquiry at once, and we tell you what to fix.

  • Times and days

    We add a schedule to the customer profile: when people call and write most often. The budget shifts to those hours.

Result: fewer impressions that miss the customer.

Targeting or observation: what is the difference

Every audience in Google Ads can be added in one of two modes. The choice decides whether it narrows impressions or only provides data.

TargetingObservation
Who sees the adsOnly people in the audienceEveryone who searches, with the audience marked in reports
Effect on reachNarrows impressions stronglyReach does not change
Where it fitsDisplay ads and remarketingSearch campaigns
Main riskLosing people ready to buyNone, if you read the report and act on it

When audience setup is needed

Audiences do not replace keywords, they strengthen them. These are the situations where they make a visible difference.

An enquiry costs too much

If keywords bring in both customers and random people, the cost per enquiry grows. Audiences show which visitors actually buy and which only browse.

By adding audiences in observation mode, we see the difference in cost per enquiry between groups. Then the budget shifts to where enquiries are cheaper, and weak groups are excluded.

What we look at in the report

  • Cost per enquiry for each audience
  • Share of enquiries from site visitors
  • Difference between phone and computer
  • Age groups with no enquiries

People look at the site and leave

Most visitors do not enquire on their first visit: they compare, consult and postpone the decision. Without remarketing you pay for their first visit and never see them again.

Remarketing reminds those who have already been on the site about you. A repeat visit is cheaper and more likely to end in an enquiry, because the person already knows the company.

Who we bring back

  • People who viewed prices and services
  • People who started filling in the form
  • People who read reviews and case studies
  • Customers who have not been back for a while

Your customer is a narrow group

If a service is only needed by certain people, for example business owners or parents, broad queries bring too many unnecessary clicks.

Custom segments and demographics help cut out those who cannot be your customer. Keywords stay, but ads are shown more precisely.

How we narrow it down

  • Custom segments by queries
  • Sites your customer reads
  • Demographics and income
  • Excluding irrelevant groups

You need impressions beyond search

On the Display Network and YouTube there is no search query, so an audience is the only way to find the right people. Without it, banners are shown to anyone.

Here we use audiences in targeting mode: in-market buyers, remarketing, custom segments. Impressions become targeted rather than random.

What we set up

  • Audiences in targeting mode
  • Excluding mobile game apps
  • Frequency capping
  • Lists of placements without your audience

You have a customer list

If you have a list of customers with emails or phone numbers, Google can find these people and others like them. It is the most accurate source of data about your audience.

We upload the list according to Google’s rules and with consents in place. Customers are excluded from ads for new services or, on the contrary, shown special offers.

What we take into account

  • Customers’ consent to data processing
  • Minimum list size
  • Updating the list once a month
  • Excluding current customers

How we set up targeting

Six steps: from a customer profile to audiences proven by figures, not guesses.

01

Customer profile

We find out who buys, where they search and what matters to them.

02

Segments

We pick ready-made audiences and build custom ones from queries and sites.

03

Remarketing

We set up visitor lists and cookie consent.

04

Modes

Observation in search, targeting in display ads.

05

Exclusions

We remove customers, irrelevant demographics and unnecessary devices.

06

Analysis

After 2–3 weeks we compare audiences by cost per enquiry.

Who it is for

Audiences give the most where the customer is not “everyone” but a clear group of people. Most often we work with:
Companies with a clear customer profile — ads are shown to people similar to your buyers
Businesses with a long decision — remarketing brings back those who compare and postpone
Companies with a customer list — we upload it and find similar people
Those launching display ads — without audiences banners reach random people
Businesses whose enquiries come from phones — we tune devices and schedule to real calls
Those whose ads have “burned” the budget — we find groups with no enquiries and exclude them

What you get

You get a campaign that knows its customer: in search, audiences provide data and help the strategy; in display ads they decide who sees the banners. Visitors who left without enquiring see a reminder, and current customers do not use up your budget. The report shows the cost per enquiry for each group, and we know where to move the budget next.

What to know before you start

Remarketing and customer list uploads only work with people’s consent to data processing
The advertising budget is paid to Google separately and is not included in the setup price
Targeting that is too narrow cuts impressions: that is why we start with observation mode in search

Let’s show your ads to people like your customers

Audience setup is included in campaign setup and launch. It works well together with location targeting and a conversion strategy. The consultation is free: first we go through your customer profile, then we name the price and timeline.

All Google Ads services

Frequently asked questions about Google Ads targeting

Included in campaign setup and launch
25–185 €