{"id":15055,"date":"2022-08-05T12:11:18","date_gmt":"2022-08-05T12:11:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.searchenginejournal.com\/build-a-brilliant-google-ads-audience-first-strategy-even-if-you-dont-want-to\/458185\/"},"modified":"2022-08-05T12:11:18","modified_gmt":"2022-08-05T12:11:18","slug":"build-a-brilliant-google-ads-audience-first-strategy-even-if-you-dont-want-to-via-sejournal-amyppc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/?p=15055","title":{"rendered":"Build A Brilliant Google Ads Audience-First Strategy (Even If You Don\u2019t Want To) via @sejournal, @amyppc"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve been working with Google Ads\/AdWords for a while, you know that it\u2019s great for targeting intent.<\/p>\n

By serving ads against keyword searches, you can promote your product or service to someone exactly when they\u2019re looking for it.<\/p>\n

But \u201cthe almighty keyword\u201d is losing its potency.<\/p>\n

Not because keyword targeting isn\u2019t effective, but because Google Ads is pivoting away from contextual and keyword targeting in favor of audiences<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As we lose control of precision matching, we have two (seemingly) less-desirable options: Get better at audience-first targeting, or lose market share to those who do.<\/p>\n

But, done right, Google Ads audience targeting is a great way to reach \u2013 and generate demand among \u2013 your target market.<\/p>\n

So, let\u2019s look at what\u2019s changing and how to win in the new \u201caudience first\u201d landscape \u2013 even if you\u2019d prefer to stick with keywords<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Upside Of Audience-First For Alphabet<\/h2>\n

Whether or not a keyword-less approach is in your company\u2019s best interest, it\u2019s certainly working well for Google\u2019s parent company Alphabet.<\/p>\n

This chart shows reported annual revenue (in billions), with an overlay of the release of non-keyword products.<\/p>\n

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\"Alphabet'sScreenshot from Statista, April 2021. Overlayed product names added by author.<\/em><\/span>\"Alphabet's<\/div>\n<\/dt>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n

Google\u2019s success is obviously due to more than just keyword-less ad offerings. But the expansion of its inventory is non-trivial.<\/p>\n

Our prospects spend far less time Googling a product than they do not<\/strong> Googling a product.<\/p>\n

If Google can reach them when they\u2019re online but not on the SERP for a specific query, the opportunity for a paid click becomes almost limitless.<\/p>\n

Your audience at any given time:<\/p>\n

\"smallScreenshot by author, July 2022<\/em><\/span>\"small<\/div>\n

This expansion is great for Google\u2019s bottom line, but how about yours?<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a step-by-step look at how to build an audience-first strategy that keeps you competitive.<\/p>\n

Create An Audience-First Strategy<\/h2>\n

An audience-first strategy isn\u2019t entirely different from an intent-first strategy, but you\u2019ll need to reframe how you target your prospects.<\/p>\n

Define Your Campaign Objectives<\/h3>\n

The campaign\u2019s goal reveals the best approach to take with strategy and targeting. Consider this frequently-asked audience<\/a> question:<\/p>\n

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\u201cShould I exclude remarketing from the audiences in my campaign?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

If the purpose of your campaign is to reach new audiences, then it would make sense to exclude prior visitors or customers.<\/p>\n

If, however, the objective is to reach people who are familiar with your brand, then this exclusion would be fatal for that campaign.<\/p>\n

Knowing your objective will make successful audience selection much easier to think through.<\/p>\n

Define Your Audience And Segments<\/h3>\n

No, we\u2019re not going to imagine a specific user avatar, what color shirt they\u2019re wearing, and what they ate for breakfast this morning.<\/p>\n

Instead, consider the attributes that make your audience unique in how they shop for, value, or use your product or service.<\/p>\n

Consider things like:<\/p>\n