Introduction to Google’s Custom Intent Audiences
To be successful in reaching your PPC target audience in today’s digital advertising world, you need to get your PPC ads in front of the right people at the right time. No audience feature better captures this industry trend than Google’s latest feature, Custom Intent Audiences. This feature sources data from users’ web and app behavior. Advertisers can target people that are actively searching specific keywords, URLs, apps, and/or YouTube content. This expands on traditional keyword targeting, which sources data from user searches. It allows advertisers to identify users with high purchase intent through cookies and sign-ins in combination with machine learning algorithms. Not only does this expand audience customization capabilities, but it also offers the following key benefits:
- Increases cost efficiency by eliminating the potential for popular keywords eating up your entire budget
- Lowers CPC’s/Raises CTR’s by increasing reach efficiency
- Protects Your Campaign Ranking from being hurt by low performing keywords
Boost your display campaign performance in Q2 by implementing these 3 custom intent audiences.
Custom Intent Audience #1: Top Performing Non-Branded Keywords
You’ve already done the hard work. You’ve found the keywords that resonate with your audience and are driving performance stats. Take your campaign insights to the next level by factoring in the quality of the clicks you’re receiving relative to the number of conversions received. Ensure you are getting the highest value from your campaign. Identify keywords that both perform strongly and have high engagement levels. Show ads to these users that are most likely to convert. Increase the quality of your prospects by identifying new in-market audiences. Pull the top performing non-branded keywords and adding them to a custom intent audience.
Best Practices Recommendation: Build out the audience by adding relevant ideas recommended by Google and relevant URLs your audience is likely to visit.
Custom Intent Audience #2: Top Performing Branded Keywords
We’ve all struggled to generate strong performance at a low cost from branded campaigns. With standard keyword targeting there is a constant struggle to balance between high quality and low-cost keywords. With a branded custom intent audience, you can cut the amount of time spent manually updating your campaign details while also dominating your brand’s online presence. You can reach users who are interested in the products/services you offer, likely to be interested in your brand, and have been tagged with high purchase intent.
Best Practices Recommendation: Add keywords, long-tail keywords/phrases associated with your brand, your site URLs, and relevant site URLs for optimal audience targeting.
Custom Intent Audience #3: Competitor Keywords/URLs
Take your competitor conquesting strategy to the next level by capitalizing on your competitors’ incoming leads. With a custom intent audience comprised of competitor terms and URLs, you can expand your targeting capability. You can target users that are searching competitor terms, or looking to purchase now or in the near future. Utilize machine learning and web behavior to identify users that have moved through the research cycle and are now either ready to purchase or will be ready to purchase soon. Advertisers can also target high-quality leads from competitors.
Best Practices Recommendation: In addition to competitor terms and URLs, consider adding product review sites and industry influencer/trusted professional sites, blogs, or social handles to extend your reach.
Additional Considerations
To be most effective with this technique, we recommend frequently creating audiences based on new user intent data. This will enable you to reach the full scope of active users since you can’t update already-created audiences.