Google Ads Targeting: Types and How It Works

Google Ads is an amazing tool to help businesses reach the right audience at the right time. But how exactly does it know who to show your ads to? That’s where targeting comes into play.

If you’re new to Google Ads or just want a quick refresher, let’s dive into how Google Ads targeting works and how you can make the most out of it.

What is Targeting in Google Ads and How Does it Work?

Targeting in Google Ads is like choosing the guest list for your party—you only want to invite people who’ll actually enjoy it!

In simple terms, targeting means selecting who sees your ads based on factors like their interests, location, behavior, or even what they’ve searched for before.

When you set up a campaign, Google gives you a bunch of options to define your ideal audience. Google’s algorithms then match your ads to users who fit those criteria. The goal? To make sure your ads are shown to people who are most likely to click, engage, and eventually become customers.

Good targeting doesn’t just boost clicks—it also improves your CTR (click-through rate), ad relevance, and overall campaign ROI. (If you’re curious about CTR and how to improve it, check out this guide).

6 Types of Targeting in Google Ads

Here are some of the most popular types of targeting you can use:

1. Demographic Targeting

You can target users based on demographic information like age, gender, parental status, or household income. For example, if you’re selling luxury baby strollers, you probably want to target parents with a higher income bracket.

2. Geographic (Geo) Targeting

Geo-targeting allows you to show your ads to people based on their physical location. Whether it’s a whole country, a city, or even a specific radius around your store, you can get super specific. Perfect for local businesses!

3. Keyword Targeting

This is the classic way to target users based on the keywords they type into Google Search. If someone searches “best running shoes,” your ad for athletic sneakers can show up right when they’re in buying mode.

4. Audience Targeting

Audience targeting uses Google’s data to find users based on their interests, behaviors, or past interactions with your website. Here are a few subtypes:

• Affinity Audiences: Based on general interests (e.g., “fitness enthusiasts”)
• In-Market Audiences: Users actively researching or shopping for a product
• Custom Audiences: Audiences you create based on specific keywords, apps, or websites

5. Remarketing

Remarketing lets you show ads to people who’ve already visited your site or interacted with your brand. It’s like giving a friendly nudge: “Hey, remember us?” It’s super powerful for conversions because these users are already familiar with you.

6. Device Targeting

People behave differently on desktop, mobile, and tablet. With device targeting, you can tweak your ads (or even create different ads) depending on what device someone is using.

Bonus Tip: To better understand user behavior, don’t forget to track your impressions in Google Analytics.

5 Best Practices to Use Google Ads Audience Types

Now that you know the types of targeting, here’s how to use them effectively:

1. Combine Multiple Targeting Options

Don’t just pick one. Combine demographics, keywords, and device targeting for a laser-focused approach.

2. Keep Testing and Optimizing

Run A/B tests to find what audience settings work best. Maybe your ads perform better on mobile? Or maybe your “luxury” audience loves seeing ads in the evening? Always test.

3. Leverage Remarketing Early

Set up a remarketing list even if your site traffic is small. Over time, it’ll become one of your best-performing audiences.

4. Use Smart Bidding

Let Google’s AI help you! Smart Bidding strategies like “Target CPA” or “Maximize Conversions” can automatically adjust your bids based on real-time data.

5. Refresh and Update Your Audiences

People change—your audiences should too. Regularly update your audience lists and remove any outdated ones.

If you want to make your ads even more effective, check out how Google responsive search ads can supercharge your campaigns!

Conclusion

In a nutshell, targeting is your secret weapon to get the right message to the right people at the right time in Google Ads. Mastering it can skyrocket your ad performance and turn casual browsers into loyal customers.

And if you ever feel overwhelmed setting all of this up, remember — you’re not alone! Our team at Ostenpowers is here to help. Whether you need a hand picking the perfect audience or optimizing your full Google Ads strategy, our Google Ads experts from Sydney are just one click away.

Ready to level up your Google Ads game? Let’s make it happen together!