Overview

Remarketing lists give advertisers clearer control over who sees ads, how bids are adjusted, and how messaging aligns with prior brand interaction. As tracking becomes more constrained and audience signals less granular, first‑party data carries more weight in day‑to‑day performance.

Where many accounts fall short is in how those lists are actually applied. Lists get created, added at observation, and then largely ignored. Without a clear purpose tied to bidding, exclusions, or messaging, remarketing ends up being under‑utilized.

The strategies below focus on remarketing lists that directly influence PPC decisions. Each example is designed to support how users move through the funnel and how accounts are realistically managed, not how they look in theory.

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Top‑of‑Funnel & Awareness Remarketing Strategies

These three remarketing strategies cover the basics of top‑of‑funnel marketing and utilize different campaign types to help leverage your RLSAs.

1. Target Users Who Have Engaged With a Video Campaign and Encourage Them to Take Action

If you’ve tried YouTube Ads and have struggled to determine or quantify success, this strategy might be for you.

Key requirements for YouTube remarketing lists

• Lists can only be used in other YouTube or Search campaigns – not Display.

• Your YouTube channel must be linked to your Google Ads account.

Setup

1. Navigate to Tools > Shared Library > Audience Manager.

2. Click the “+” button to create a new YouTube remarketing list.

Screenshot: Build new YouTube remarketing lists in Google Ads platform

From there, you can segment users based on:

• Views to videos

• Subscribes to the channel

• Visits to the channel

• Likes on videos

• Add videos to playlist

• Shares of videos

You can further refine the list by interaction type.

Implementation

• Add the new list to existing Search campaigns as Observation Only to gauge performance.

• Optionally create dedicated Search campaigns that target these users with tailored messaging.

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2. Exclude Low‑Quality or Irrelevant Website Traffic From Search Campaigns

Awareness campaigns often bring in traffic that isn’t likely to convert. Excluding the following can improve cost efficiency:

• Pages that wouldn’t result in a purchase (e.g., Careers, Investors, Advertise with Us, Customer Service)

• Users who stayed on the site for less than one second

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3. Create Lookalike Audiences From Your Own First‑Party Data

Instead of relying on Google’s affinity audiences, use your own first‑party data to build Lookalike audiences:

• Create a remarketing list of past purchasers in Google Ads or Google Analytics.

• Upload a list of past purchasers to Google Ads.

Depending on list size, you can generate a Lookalike audience for YouTube, Display, or Search.

Screenshot: Use URL paths to create remarketing lists of past purchasers

Tip: Google Analytics offers more segmentation and filtering options for precise list creation. Ensure your site is tagged and linked to either GA or Google Ads.

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Consideration‑Stage Remarketing Strategies

These four strategies help move users from consideration to purchase faster using different bidding tactics and offers.

4. Increase Bids for Qualified Visitors Who Haven’t Made a Purchase

Create a remarketing list of users who:

• Reached the cart checkout

• Visited a certain number of pages

• Spent a set amount of time on site

• Viewed high‑value product pages

Add the list to an existing Search campaign and set the audience to Observation. Then increase the bid (e.g., +15 %).

Screenshot: Adding audiences in Google Ads as “Observation Only”

Screenshot: Increase bids on remarketing lists in Google Ads

Monitor performance and adjust bids as needed.

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5. Increase Bids for Users Who Have Completed a Micro‑Conversion

Micro‑conversions (newsletter sign‑up, ebook download, webinar registration, free sample request) indicate high intent. Build a remarketing list based on these actions and apply a bid increase similar to Strategy 4.

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6. Test Maximize Conversion Value With Cart Abandoners

Create a dedicated campaign targeting only cart abandoners (typically URL‑based lists).

• Exclude the cart‑abandoner list from your main acquisition campaigns to avoid overlap.

• Set the bid strategy to Maximize Conversion Value.

You can optionally set a target ROAS, but start with a modest target to allow the algorithm to learn.

Screenshot: Choosing the “Maximize Conversion Value” bid strategy

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7. Create Offers Based on the User’s Interaction Timeline

Segment cart‑abandoners by the number of days since abandonment (e.g., 1 day, 3 days, 7 days) by adjusting the membership duration for each list.

Screenshot: Choose different membership durations in remarketing lists

Set up separate ad groups for each list with tiered offers (higher discount for recent abandoners, lower discount for older ones). Remember to exclude purchasers from these campaigns.

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Post‑Purchase Journey Remarketing Strategies

Once a user has purchased, the journey continues. These strategies turn past purchasers into repeat buyers and brand advocates.

8. Cross‑Promote Other Products Based on Purchase Behavior

Segment past purchasers by product category (e.g., lipstick vs. mascara) and use those lists to promote complementary items (e.g., foundation, eye shadow). Dynamic Remarketing or Shopping Ads work well for this.

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9. Exclude Past Purchasers to Maximize Spend Efficiency

Prevent ads for products a user already bought from appearing in acquisition campaigns.

• In the Audiences tab, add the “Purchasers” list to the Exclusions table.

Screenshot: Excluding audience segments in Google Ads campaigns

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10. Create Brand Advocates from High‑Value Customers

Leverage past purchasers to generate referrals and repeat sales:

• Offer referral discounts for each new customer they bring.

• Provide discounts in exchange for public reviews.

Referral programs are a low‑cost, multi‑channel awareness strategy that benefits both the brand and the customer.

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Using Remarketing Lists With Intent, Not Just Coverage

Remarketing lists are most effective when they support specific decisions inside your account—bidding, exclusions, and budget shifts based on user behavior. Treat remarketing as a layered system throughout the funnel rather than a single tactic. Thoughtful segmentation and active use lead to more efficient spend and higher confidence in PPC management.

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More Resources

• Cross‑Channel Remarketing Campaigns: A Complete Guide

• Remarketing Vs. Retargeting: Are They The Same Thing?

• Winning At Retargeting: Tips To Reconnect & Convert

Featured Image: Tetiana Yurchenko/Shutterstock