TL;DR: Remarketing with Google Ads shows ads specifically to people who have already visited your website. Because these visitors have already shown interest, they convert 3–5× better than cold audiences. In Austria and the EU, remarketing must be implemented in a GDPR-compliant way.
What is remarketing with Google Ads, and is it worth it for your business? In short: remarketing is often the highest-ROI Google Ads strategy because you're reaching people who already visited your website.
Quick Answer: Remarketing (also called retargeting) means showing ads specifically to website visitors who left without converting. Google places a cookie in the visitor's browser to enable this. These audiences convert an average of 3–5× better than cold audiences, because initial interest has already been demonstrated.
Why Most Visitors Leave Without Converting
Someone visits your website. Looks at your offering. Leaves. Doesn't buy.
That's not the exception – it's the norm. Even very good landing pages only convert 2–5% of visitors on the first contact. The remaining 95–98% leave without an inquiry – not because your offering is poor, but because the timing isn't right yet.
Remarketing gives you the ability to reach exactly these people again – at a time when they may be ready.
What Is Remarketing?
Remarketing (or retargeting) means showing ads specifically to people who have already visited your website. These ads follow them on other websites (via the Google Display Network), on YouTube, and in Google Search – reminding them of your offering.
The result: remarketing audiences convert on average 3–5× better than cold audiences, at simultaneously lower CPC.
How Remarketing Works Technically
- Set up Google Tag — A Google Tag is embedded on your website. It places a cookie in every visitor's browser.
- Define Audiences — In Google Ads, you define audiences based on visitor behavior: all visitors in the last 30 days, visitors to a specific page (e.g., pricing page), users who opened the contact form but didn't submit, or users who spent at least 2 minutes on the site.
- Create Campaign — You create a campaign and select this remarketing audience as targeting. Only people on this list see your ads.
The Key Remarketing Types
Standard Remarketing (Display)
Banner ads on websites in the Google Display Network. Affordable, broad reach, ideal for brand awareness.
Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSA)
Increase your bids for search ads when a known website visitor searches for your keywords again. This user has already signaled interest – a higher bid is justified.
YouTube Remarketing
Video ads on YouTube for your website visitors. Especially good for services that need explanation.
Customer Match
Upload a list of customer email addresses. Google shows these people your ads on Search, Display, and YouTube. Perfect for upselling or customer retention.
Segmentation: Why Not All Visitors Are Equal
The key to profitable remarketing is segmentation. Not all visitors are equally valuable:
| Audience | Purchase Probability | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Visited pricing page | Very high | Aggressive bidding, direct offer |
| Opened contact form but didn't submit | High | Reminder ad, FAQ |
| Read blog content | Medium | Further reading incentive |
| Brief homepage visit | Low | Brand awareness |
Tailor your message and budget to each segment.
GDPR and Privacy in Remarketing
In the EU, remarketing must be GDPR-compliant:
- Cookie consent banner with explicit consent for marketing cookies
- Users must have the ability to decline tracking
- No remarketing audiences on sensitive pages (health, finance) without explicit consent
- Modern consent management platforms (Cookiebot, OneTrust, Klaro) simplify compliant implementation
How Long Should the Remarketing List Duration Be?
Standard membership in a remarketing list is 30 days. Depending on your decision cycle, this can be shorter or longer:
- Impulse purchases (e.g., flower shop): 7–14 days
- Local services (e.g., plumber, hairdresser): 14–30 days
- High-value offerings (e.g., kitchen planning, financial advice): 60–90 days
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between remarketing and retargeting? The terms are often used interchangeably. In the Google ecosystem, the term is remarketing; on Meta and other platforms, it's typically called retargeting. Technically, both work via pixels or tags that mark visitors in their browser.
How many website visitors do I need before remarketing makes sense? Google requires at least 100 users in a remarketing list before ads are served. In practice, we recommend starting from around 500 monthly visitors, as smaller lists provide too little volume for meaningful optimization.
Is remarketing legal in Austria? Yes, if implemented in a GDPR-compliant way: a cookie consent banner with active opt-in, an opt-out option, and a correct privacy policy are all required.
How much does remarketing cost compared to regular Google Ads? The CPC for remarketing campaigns is often 30–50% lower than for standard search campaigns, because you're targeting a pre-qualified audience.
Remarketing is often the highest-ROI Google Ads strategy because you're reaching people who have already shown interest. If you're not yet using remarketing in your Google Ads account, let us show you how much budget you could have already saved. Contact webflix.at for a free campaign analysis.