Although targeted ads are often perceived negatively by consumers, new data shows that targeted advertising can have many key benefits for small businesses, including search retargeting strategies.

Small businesses can use search retargeting strategies to effectively place their ads in front of the right people. How does search retargeting work?

Take a look at this scenario:

You’re just a few weeks away from spring and have already started planning weekend hikes to take advantage of the warmer temperatures.

After spending hours researching online for the best trails, you’re now ready to choose which ones to follow. You realized that your hiking boots could be a bit worn out and in need of an upgrade.

Search Google for the best hiking boots, and then click on some roundup articles such as this. You’re not sure if you should purchase after reading a lot.

You’re looking for the latest news online and you see an advertisement on the side of the page that advertises top-tier hiking boots. These boots have strong traction, high breathability, and plenty of cushions. The brand also offers a discount on this style of boot.

Do you want to click on an ad and buy?

This scenario is likely to be familiar to most consumers, particularly since online shopping habits soared during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. 54% have made an internet purchase during the first months of 2021. This includes 12% who made more than 20 online purchases. However, do they know that this is an example of search-retargeting?

Shopping online opens up prime opportunities for search targeting for businesses to increase sales and drive revenue. However, it can be difficult for smaller players to penetrate markets and compete against larger competitors.

What is Search Retargeting?

Search retargeting is a form of Miami digital marketing in which businesses use data about consumer search behavior to create custom audiences and then display specific ads to each group based on keywords or phrases they have searched for previously.

This strategy is a great way for small businesses and digital marketers in Los Angeles to reach more customers who already show interest in their products or service through the following benefits.

Site Retargeting vs Search Retargeting

Phoenix marketing agencies often use the terms “site retargeting”, and “search retargeting” in today’s marketing environment. Both retargeting strategies have their benefits but they also have different advantages.

Search retargeting is a way for companies to target potential customers via search engines, using keywords as an example. Site retargeting is about targeting people who have visited your website before.

If a site visitor leaves the site without converting, you can target them with your advertisement later.

Companies can benefit from search and site retargeting by focusing their efforts on different customer pools.

Search retargeting can be a viable strategy for targeted advertising.

Targeted advertisement has a generally negative connotation with consumers. Is it possible to make targeted advertising work?

Search Retargeting has many benefits

• The most cost-effective marketing strategy 52% of customers purchase within three days of viewing an appealing product. Search retargeting is a great way for small businesses to reach customers as traditional SEO and PPC become more competitive.

• Brand Awareness 59% of consumers see ads for brands that they have searched for before, which suggests increased name recognition.

• Engagement and traffic 26% of consumers are more likely to click on ads that advertise brands they’ve searched for in the past. This drives users to company websites.

• In all customer groups 52% of customers can identify at least one benefit from targeted advertising. This means that targeted ads can resonant with existing and new customers.

• Despite 58% of consumers having a negative view of targeted advertising, search retargeting can still be used to help small businesses grow their reach and drive sales.

Search Retargeting is a cost-effective alternative to SEO or PPC.

There are many ways that consumers approach online shopping. Some people know exactly what they want and can buy it right away. Some spend time researching and browsing before they make a purchase.

52 percent of consumers made online purchases within three days after seeing an item or service they were interested in.

Businesses that want to reach potential customers before they buy are going to need these three days.

Businesses often use various SEO and PPC strategies, other than search retargeting. This helps them stay top of mind (and on the page) for potential customers.

SEO strategies are used by businesses to optimize their websites for topic relevance and algorithm recognition to rank their web pages or website at the top of search engine results in pages.

Although SEO investment can have long-lasting benefits, it is not easy to implement effective strategies. They rely on unique and authoritative content which makes it difficult for small businesses to compete with larger companies with more resources.

Companies that use PPC strategies are at the top search results pages. PPC ads will bring in more results for small businesses, making it easier to determine if they are successful. PPC strategies require a financial investment. Too many paid ads could turn customers away.

Small businesses can still use search retargeting to reach the right audience despite the increasing competition for SEO and associated costs with PPC.

Targeted ads can be placed by businesses to entice consumers before they make a purchase.

Thomas Flutz, the CEO and founder of Coffeeble was searching for a coffee cup with a heating pad. Although he didn’t buy anything at the time, he was served an ad later.

Flutz stated that she clicked on the ad after having looked at the page a few days earlier. “It just popped up again,” Flutz added. “I was extremely happy with the purchase.”

This search retargeting experience demonstrates how important it is to reach consumers from the moment they decide to purchase a product or service, all the way through the actual purchase.

However, this time frame will differ from one consumer to another or from product to product.

Stephen Light, the CMO of Nolah Mattress explained that his approach to online purchasing is influenced by the price of the product.

Light stated that he compares prices and reviews on a single ecommerce platform to find cheaper products. Light said that he does extensive research on high-ticket items and compares prices before buying. Sometimes, this can take as long as a month, if I’m not sure.

Search retargeting can be used by small businesses to get their brand in front of consumers in the research phase of online shopping.

Search Retargeting Enhances Brand and Product Awareness

Branding can be a difficult task for small businesses as well as new businesses. However, it is also one of the most rewarding. Targeted ads can be used by small businesses to increase name recognition among the right audience.

Consumers may recognize brand ads on their screens more easily if they have learned about the brand. Search retargeting has a clear advantage.

Search retargeting strategies can be a great choice for small businesses and brand consultancy firms who want to increase name recognition.

Jacob Fitzpatrick, the owner of the creative agency Fitz Designz agrees that targeted online advertising can be a benefit to both small and large businesses.

Fitzpatrick stated that brand awareness is essential for online success. Digital ads can be used as visual cues to raise awareness and recognize potential customers.

Small businesses can use data from consumer search behavior to place targeted ads in front of users who might be reminded or introduced to the brand for the first time.

One of the oldest rules in the advertising world is the Ney Line a marketing and events specialist who believes display ads can be a win-win for building brand awareness. Display ads can have two outcomes: Users click on them out of curiosity or they get ignored.

Lins stated that both scenarios will increase brand awareness as users will either learn about the brand or get interested.

Small businesses can make a name in the market with targeted display ads, but it is important to be strategic about search retargeting.

Lins stated that digital display ads can increase brand awareness. He advised segmentation. “Brand awareness does not just revolve around reach. It’s also about relevant exposure.

Although small businesses might be tempted by the temptation to place a lot of display ads to get their name out there, it is better to analyze consumer search data and create a search-retargeting strategy that doesn’t oversaturate users or come off as spammy.

Search retargeting strategies are a great way for small businesses to establish name recognition among potential customers and increase brand awareness with their target audiences if done correctly.

Search Retargeting increases website traffic and engagement

Small businesses that want to grow will need to click on the ad.

26 percent of consumers were more likely to click on ads for brands, products, or services in 2021 than they were in 2021.

These numbers are encouraging for small businesses considering the low clickthrough rates of display ads.

Search behavior data and search-retargeting strategies can be used by small businesses and advertising agencies to serve relevant display ads to targeted audience groups who are more likely than others to click through to a company’s site.

Small businesses can target more than just targeting. By following these common best practices, they can make their display ads stand out to casual online shoppers.

• Multiple ad formats
• Include your brand colors and logo
• Presenting a unique value proposition
• A clear, urgent call for action
• Use simple fonts, formats, frames
• Visual and strong images should be shared

Ask your family, friends, or colleagues to help you determine what motivates them to click on digital display ads.

Ethan Taub is the CEO of the fintech platform goals. He likes to keep up with new technology, and recently clicked on an advertisement for a new phone.

Taub stated, “When I saw the advertisement for the phone, I was immediately attracted.” “I’m more inclined to click on ads that have high-quality images of the product — it doesn’t look messy if it distracts from the image.

Display ads’ visual aspects are crucial in attracting potential customers or capturing their attention. However, the content of the advertisement is equally important in generating a response.

Lins stated that small businesses need to make digital display ads that are relevant to their target audience.

Lins stated, “Focus upon people.” Lins stated that success is dependent on people’s behaviors, desires, needs, and motivations.

“Their behavior, desires, and needs will determine their success.”

Small businesses can use search retargeting strategies to get their name out there, increase clicks and drive traffic toward their site by using display ads’ best practices and search retargeting strategies.

Search Retargeting offers Access to Existing and New Customers

Targeted ads are often perceived as having a negative connotation by many consumers, who may find them intrusive, too common, or even creepy.

However, more than half (52%) of 2021’s consumers said they could identify at most one benefit from targeted advertising.

Although privacy concerns prevent many from supporting targeted advertisements, most consumers recognize the benefits.

Targeted advertising is believed to be beneficial by consumers:

• Get promotional sales and incentives (15%)
• Discover new brands (14%)
• Receive personalized product and service recommendations (13%)
• Find local businesses (12%)
• Enjoy a faster online shopping experience (11%)

Search retargeting is a great way to provide these services for consumers if done right.

Targeted ads are more appealing to consumers than the vast array of products online.

Fultz states, “It only sucks if it wants to.”

Fultz agrees that targeted advertising makes his shopping experience easier. He said that he is more likely to be able to see the products he wants to buy than to see something that doesn’t interest him at all.

Taub and other consumers find targeted ads useful in finding new brands.

Taub stated, “I like targeted advertising because sometimes the items displayed are a little bit different from what I have been browsing for.” It makes the experience a lot more interesting.

Small businesses can use search retargeting strategies to reach potential customers who are looking for interesting products, or customers who already know what they like.

Small businesses need to be cautious with their targeting strategies in order not to fall for the negative stereotypes surrounding targeted ads.

Chris Laan, the founder of DesignerSheds, acknowledges that search-retargeting can be a powerful top-of-funnel marketing strategy for businesses, but he also points out some possible cons.

Laan stated that if a company’s advertisements appear in too many searches, such as more than half the users’ searches across a variety of websites, it could come off as spammy.

“If an advertiser’s ads are appearing too often, say in more than half the searches of a user across a variety of websites, it could come off as spammy.”

Although search retargeting is a great way for small businesses to reach new customers and retain existing customers, it can also cause oversaturation that can negatively impact sales and brand reputation.

Search Retargeting Delivers Tangible Results to Small Businesses

Only 12% of consumers said that they had a positive view of targeted advertising in 2021, despite its many benefits.

However, 58% of consumers view targeted advertising negatively while 30% feel neutral.

Despite the negative and overwhelming perceptions of consumers, targeted advertising has real value for businesses.       

Data is Mohsenipour, the director of marketing for social media company HeyOrca is well-versed in search marketing.

Mohsenipour stated that targeted ads are more effective when they are displayed in my spare time. He also said that he is a strong advocate for professionals. Targeted advertising is an effective, low-cost way to generate conversions. There is plenty of data.

“It is a cost-effective and low-cost way to generate conversions,” says data.

Small businesses and marketing professionals have been able to search retargeting to achieve many goals with the right targeting strategy.

• Boosting conversions. Geoff Crain is the digital director at Kingstar Media.

• Targeting new audiences: “Search retargeted allows you to reach a wider audience immediately,” John Li (co-founder of Fig Loans).

• Engaging new clients: “Search Retargeting is a great method to find new customers. They’ve been searching for similar products, but have never found our site. It’s almost like we’re reaching them to say hello!” Jerry Han is the business development manager at PriceRebel.

Tracking performance in search-retargeting can be a valuable tool for small businesses to identify areas of improvement.

Laura Caveney is the digital marketing manager at ruler Analytics. She believes reporting is the most important part of a targeted advertising campaign.

Caveney stated that B2B marketers can have difficulty judging the effectiveness of advertising as users may convert in different ways. To track the effectiveness of targeted advertising strategies, we recommend using a marketing tool called marketing attribution.

Attribution tracking is a more common way for small businesses to understand the impact of their ads on the bottom line than other metrics like cost per lead and total conversions.

Although most people have negative opinions about targeted advertising strategies or believe that it doesn’t work for them, experts agree that search retargeting is effective.

Small businesses have the option to use search retargeting data from consumers to create ads that increase conversions, reach new customers, and expand their customer base.

It is also important to establish a tracking system that allows you to track how these campaigns impact revenue and identify opportunities for improvement.

Small Businesses Get the Best Search Retargeting Benefits

Search retargeting is a way for small businesses to reach people who are already interested in their products and services.

Although targeted advertising strategies are generally viewed negatively by consumers, online shoppers show that small businesses can reap the benefits of search retargeting.

• Search Retargeting is an affordable alternative to PPC or SEO. It allows small businesses to reach potential customers without having to spend time or money for traditional search marketing.

• Small businesses can increase brand awareness and product awareness by serving digital display ads to targeted audiences.

• Search Retargeting Strategies paired with best practices in display ads can help increase clickthrough rates to drive traffic to small businesses websites.

• Small businesses can reach potential customers and establish name recognition with customers using search-retargeting strategies.

• Search retargeting can help small businesses reach more customers, increase conversions and drive revenue growth if done properly.

Although search retargeting has many benefits, small businesses need to be careful not to oversaturate users with too many targeted ads. This can make a brand look creepy and spammy, which could have negative effects on its reputation.

Small businesses have the chance to increase their reach, build their brand, drive traffic, and grow their revenue with a balanced search-retargeting strategy.