Layering Success: How To Target High-Intent Users In Google Ads via @sejournal, @LisaRocksSEM

In an progressively data-driven advertizing world, getting your ads successful beforehand of the close radical tin marque each the difference.

One almighty mode to execute that is done assemblage layering successful Google Ads.

By stacking aggregate assemblage signals similar remarketing lists, in-market segments, and more, you tin present highly applicable ads and zero successful connected high-intent users.

Audience layering tin beryllium complicated. Let’s dive into what assemblage layering is, the cardinal components, and an illustration demonstrating however you tin commencement utilizing it efficaciously successful your campaigns.

What Is Audience Layering?

Layering audiences successful Google Ads means combining antithetic assemblage targeting methods wrong a azygous run oregon advertisement group.

Instead of targeting conscionable 1 wide group, you stack aggregate criteria to make progressively circumstantial segments of users.

By filtering retired less-qualified traffic, layering helps you absorption connected the radical astir apt to beryllium funny successful your products oregon services.

This attack allows you to refine your advertisement walk by reaching much qualified groups and speaking straight to their interests oregon behaviors.

As a result, you tin trim wasted walk and amended wide advertisement performance.

What Are The Benefits Of Layering Audiences?

• Targeting Efficiency & Relevance: By layering audiences, you’re showing ads to radical astir apt to beryllium funny with messaging much applicable to each group’s circumstantial needs. This reduces wasted advertisement spend, starring to higher conversion rates.
• Better Control Over Bidding: Layering allows you to bid otherwise for antithetic assemblage combinations. You mightiness beryllium consenting to bid higher for users who are your perfect customers and besides good with branching retired a spot connected different targeting.
• Enhanced Insights: By analyzing the show of antithetic layered segments, you summation invaluable insights into which assemblage combinations enactment best. This helps you optimize your campaigns and allocate your fund much effectively.

Which Types Of Audiences Can Be Layered In Google Ads?

Let’s look astatine the types of audiences we tin take from that are eligible for utilizing unneurotic for precocious targeting. You tin furniture the pursuing assemblage types (with exceptions noted below):

• Remarketing Lists: Target radical who antecedently visited your site, utilized your app, oregon engaged with your YouTube channel.
• In-Market Audiences: Reach users actively researching oregon comparing products/services successful your category, perfect for capturing high-intent shoppers.
• Affinity Audiences: Group users by wide interests oregon lifestyles, specified arsenic “Pop Music Fans” oregon “Outdoor Enthusiasts.”
• Customer Match: Use your ain lawsuit narration absorption (CRM) information (e.g., email lists) to re-engage known customers oregon leads who person already shown involvement successful your brand.
• Audience Segments: Formerly called “custom affinity” oregon “custom intent,” these fto you specify audiences based connected URLs, apps, oregon keywords applicable to your niche.
• Detailed Demographics: Refine your targeting based connected age, gender, parental status, household income, and different demographic factors.
• Combined Audiences: Combined Audiences (for Display, Video, and Discovery campaigns) let you to make much analyzable targeting by combining antithetic assemblage segments. This chiefly uses “AND” logic, meaning you people the intersection of the combined audiences. For example, you tin people users who are both on your remarketing database and successful a circumstantial in-market audience. While determination isn’t nonstop “OR” logic wrong Combined Audiences, akin results tin beryllium achieved by creating abstracted advertisement groups for each assemblage oregon utilizing bid adjustments with Observation.
• Life Events: Target users successful show and video campaigns based connected important beingness moments, specified arsenic graduating college, getting married, oregon moving.
• Location Targeting: While not an audience, is besides a important constituent and often serves arsenic a foundational furniture upon which different assemblage targeting is applied. For example, you mightiness people radical funny successful “movies” (an Interest) who are also located wrong a circumstantial metropolis oregon portion to advertise your theater.

By strategically layering these assemblage segments – and considering determination targeting arsenic a basal furniture – you tin importantly amended the relevance of your ads, reaching the astir qualified imaginable customers.

What Is Targeting And Observation?

The concepts of Targeting and Observation are straight related to assemblage layering strategies successful Google Ads.

They determine how your layered audiences interact with your broader targeting settings and power who sees your ads and however overmuch you bid for those impressions.

Here’s however they relate:

Targeting Only And Layering

When you usage Targeting with aggregate audiences, you make a restrictive layering effect. Think of it arsenic an “AND” narration betwixt the layers. A idiosyncratic must beryllium to each targeted audiences to spot your ad.

• Example: You people radical who are “travel buffs” AND radical located successful Oregon. Your advertisement volition lone beryllium shown to users who conscionable some criteria. Someone funny successful question but located successful California would not beryllium served ads. Someone successful Oregon who isn’t funny successful question would besides not beryllium served ads.

This attack is fantabulous for focusing connected highly qualified audiences but tin importantly bounds your reach.

Observation And Layering

By adding audiences successful Observation, you are not straight targeting the observed audiences. The superior purposes of adding an assemblage to Observation are:

• Gathering Statistics/Insights: Observation allows you to spot however antithetic assemblage segments execute within your existing targeting. You tin analyse metrics similar conversion rate, outgo per enactment (CPA), and instrumentality connected advertisement walk (ROAS) for each observed assemblage to recognize which segments are astir valuable.
• Making Bid Adjustments: Based connected the show data, you tin set your bids for observed audiences. Increase bids for high-performing segments and alteration bids for lower-performing ones. This allows you to optimize your bidding strategy without restricting your reach.
• Example: Your basal targeting is the keyword “Outdoor Gear.” You past adhd “travel buffs” and radical located successful Oregon arsenic observed audiences. Your ads tin beryllium shown to anyone searching for “Outdoor Gear.” However, you mightiness bid higher for users who are besides funny successful question (showing stronger acquisition intent) and adjacent higher for those question buffs who are also located successful Oregon (your superior people market).

This attack allows for a broader scope portion inactive prioritizing high-value segments done bid adjustments.

Layering Strategies And Targeting/Observation

Effective assemblage layering strategies often impact a operation of Targeting and Observation. Here are a fewer communal approaches:

• Start With Observation: Begin by observing aggregate audiences to stitchery show information and place high-performing segments.
• Transition To Targeting: Once you place a high-performing observed audience, you mightiness power it to Targeting to absorption your fund exclusively connected that segment.
• Combine Targeting And Observation: You mightiness people a wide assemblage (e.g., “Outdoor Enthusiasts”) and past usage Observation to furniture successful much circumstantial interests (e.g., “Hiking”) for bid adjustments.
• Hierarchical Layering: Use Targeting to specify your halfway assemblage (e.g., determination and demographics) and past furniture connected observed audiences for interests and acquisition intent to refine bidding.

By knowing the interplay betwixt Targeting and Observation, you tin make blase assemblage layering strategies that maximize scope and amended information gathering for optimal targeting.

Screenshot of Google Ads (settings by author), January 2025

Which Campaign Types Support Audience Layering?

Audience layering, utilizing some Targeting and Observation, is disposable crossed respective Google Ads run types, but with immoderate differences successful functionality and availability of assemblage types.

The run types beneath are each supported, but person somewhat antithetic usage cases by campaign:

• Search Campaigns: Refining targeting based connected idiosyncratic intent and demographics, peculiarly for reaching users who person antecedently interacted with your website (remarketing) oregon are actively researching applicable products/services (In-Market).
• Display Campaigns: Reaching users based connected interests, demographics, and browsing behaviour crossed the Google Display Network. Layering is simply a cardinal strategy for narrowing your assemblage and improving the relevance of your show ads.
• Video Campaigns (YouTube): Reaching users based connected their YouTube activity, interests, and demographics. Layering allows you to people circumstantial spectator segments and optimize your video advertisement campaigns for amended engagement and conversions.
• Demand Gen Campaigns: Demand Gen campaigns are designed to thrust conversions and make leads. Audience layering allows you to refine your targeting to scope users who are astir apt to person and cater your income messaging to those segments.
• Performance Max Campaigns (Special Case):
  • Targeting (Limited): While Performance Max campaigns usage assemblage signals, you don’t straight acceptable Targeting oregon Observation successful the aforesaid mode arsenic different run types. You supply Google Ads with “audience signals” (including your website, lawsuit lists, and different assemblage segments) to assistance the strategy recognize your perfect customer. Google’s automation past uses these signals to optimize targeting and scope the astir applicable users crossed assorted channels. Google notes: “However, this isn’t a warrant that ads volition beryllium served to lone users wrong these audiences. If it’s determined that different segments of users are converting well, ads volition beryllium served extracurricular of users specified successful the assemblage signals.”
  • Audience Signals: You tin supply a wide scope of assemblage signals, including website visitors, lawsuit lists, customized segments, and interests. These signals enactment arsenic a signifier of layering, informing the strategy astir the characteristics of your people audience.

Key Considerations:

• Campaign Goals: Your run goals should pass your assemblage layering strategy. For example, a run focused connected marque consciousness mightiness usage broader targeting with Observation for bid adjustments, portion a run focused connected conversions mightiness usage much restrictive Targeting to scope highly qualified leads.

By knowing however assemblage layering works crossed antithetic run types, you tin accommodate your targeting strategies to execute your circumstantial selling objectives.

How Do I Set Up Audience Layering In Google Ads?

It tin beryllium a spot confusing knowing however to acceptable up audiences and furniture them successful Google Ads. The pursuing steps volition get you there:

1. Campaign > Select the run for which you privation to use assemblage layering.
2. In the broadside paper > Audiences, keywords, and contented > Audiences.
3. Look to the close > Audience segments > Add Audience segments.
4. Pick a run oregon advertisement radical from the pop-up menu.
5. Select the “Targeting” oregon “Observation” vigor fastener – you tin lone take one.
6. Search oregon browse assemblage categories.
7. Add Audiences > Select the audiences you privation to layer.
8. Save.
9. Set Bid Adjustments (for Observation): After saving, you’ll beryllium kicked backmost to measurement 3. Here, take “show table,” wherever you volition spot the database of targeting you selected. There is simply a tract to edit/add bid adjustments.

Audience Layering Example

Let’s look astatine an illustration of however we tin furniture audiences for a fictitious institution selling kayaks in-store successful the authorities of Oregon, USA.

Targeting Recommendation

1. Location Targeting: Focus connected geo-targeting cities/towns adjacent fashionable kayaking spots successful Oregon.
2. In-Market Audience Targeting: Layer “Water Activities Equipment & Accessories” and “Outdoor Recreational Equipment” in-market audiences.
3. Affinity Audience Targeting: Layer “Outdoor Enthusiasts,” and “Water Sports Enthusiasts” to scope users who person a wide affinity for these lifestyles.

Explanation And Justification Of Layering:

Layer 1: Location Targeting (Cities Near Kayaking)

This furniture focuses connected users physically located adjacent fashionable kayaking destinations successful Oregon who are geographically much apt to beryllium funny successful kayaking activities successful Oregon.

This proposal is modular for a concern offering location-specific services oregon targeting section customers.

It ensures your ads are shown to radical who are geographically applicable and much apt to sojourn your carnal store oregon enactment successful kayaking activities successful the area.

Layer 2: In-Market Audiences (Water Activities Equipment/Outdoor Recreation)

This furniture targets users actively researching and considering purchases related to h2o sports cogwheel and outdoor recreation.

This signals a higher acquisition intent compared to users who simply person a wide involvement successful these categories.

By layering this assemblage with the determination targeting, you’re reaching radical adjacent kayaking spots who are also actively looking to bargain applicable products oregon services, making them highly qualified leads.

Layer 3: Affinity Audiences (Outdoor/Water Sports)

This furniture broadens your scope beyond those actively researching purchases. It targets users with a wide affinity for outdoor activities, travel, and adventure.

While these users mightiness not beryllium instantly acceptable to purchase, they correspond a larger excavation of imaginable customers who could beryllium funny successful kayaking.

This furniture helps summation marque consciousness and present your kayak institution to a wider assemblage who stock applicable manner interests.

By layering these audiences, the kayak store tin scope a highly targeted assemblage (those funny successful outdoor activities, located adjacent kayaking spots, and actively researching related purchases) portion besides reaching a broader assemblage of imaginable kayakers done affinity targeting.

The diagram beneath further illustrates however this targeting plays together.

Segment “A”: Represents the assemblage reached wherever the determination and the in-market assemblage overlap and some are targeted.

Segment “B”: It is likely, but not guaranteed, that a tiny illustration of radical volition beryllium successful each audiences – the in-market, affinity, and successful the determination targeted. This would beryllium an perfect audience.

Segment “C”: Represents the assemblage reached erstwhile some successful the determination and successful the affinity assemblage list.

Diagram created by author, January 2025

How Do I  Measure Success?

Now that we’ve explored an illustration layering plan, let’s get acceptable to measure the occurrence of layered audiences.

Like astir campaigns successful Google Ads, absorption connected these cardinal metrics:

• Conversion Rate: Which assemblage combinations pb to the astir conversions (sales, leads, etc.)? A higher conversion complaint indicates a much qualified audience.
• Cost Per Conversion (CPA): How overmuch does it outgo to get a conversion from each layered audience? A little CPA means you’re getting conversions much efficiently.
• Return connected Ad Spend (ROAS): For each dollar you spend, however overmuch gross are you generating from each layered audience? A higher ROAS indicates a much profitable audience.
• Click-Through Rate (CTR) (Secondary Metric): While not a nonstop measurement of success, a higher CTR tin suggest that your ads are resonating with a peculiar assemblage segment.
• Impression Share (For Targeting): If utilizing Targeting, show the content stock to spot if you’re reaching each disposable users wrong your targeted audience. A debased content stock could suggest that your bids are excessively debased oregon your targeting is excessively specific.

By analyzing these metrics for each layered audience, you tin place invaluable segments, optimize your bids, and refine your targeting.

Final Thoughts

Audience layering stands arsenic a cornerstone strategy for PPC professionals looking to maximize their advertizing interaction successful today’s rapidly evolving integer landscape.

By strategically combining assemblage signals, you make targeting precision that straight impacts your bottommost line.

Successful assemblage layering isn’t set-and-forget. Your committedness to knowing and applying these strategies volition straight interaction your campaign’s success.

The powerfulness lies not conscionable successful the layering itself, but successful your attack to selecting, measuring, and optimizing these combinations implicit time.

More Resources:

• A Complete Guide To PPC Ad Targeting Options
• Build A Brilliant Google Ads Audience-First Strategy (Even If You Don’t Want To)
• PPC Trends 2025

Featured Image: U-STUDIOGRAPHY DD59/Shutterstock