le will be closing similar audiences in 2023: What you need to know //

Google has recently announced it will begin phasing off similar audiences starting next year. What are they? How can you replace them and what should you know? With expert input from Jyll Saskin Gales, a PPC pro, read on!

Tables of Content

• 
  Who are similar audiences?
  
• 
  When and why will they disappear?
  
• 
  Optimized targeting Audience expansion
  
• 
  Expert tips by Jyll
  

What are the similar audiences?

Google’s version for lookalike audiences is similar audiences or similar segments. These audiences are created by looking for people with similar online behavior to the ones in your remarketing lists (such website visitors, customer lists and video viewers). They can be used in all types of campaigns.

What are their reasons for leaving?

Google claims that this change will help advertisers adapt to changes in consumer behavior as well as online marketing strategies. Here’s the timeline.

• May 2023: Google won’t generate new audiences segments or add existing audience segments to campaigns or ad groups. Campaigns and ad groups with similar segments will continue running.
• August 2023: Google will eliminate similar segments from all ad campaigns and groups.

What can be done to replace them?

Here are the segments that Google (and us) recommend replacing similar segments.

• Optimized targeting with first-party audience is used for Discovery, Display, and Video Action campaigns.
• Audience expansion is a great option for reaching video audiences or considering campaigns.
• Smart Bidding is a tool that automatically leverages signals from first party data for Shopping and Search campaigns.

Smart Bidding is fairly self-explanatory. You can find out more about bidding strategies by clicking. The Optimized targeting and audience expansion part is a bit more complicated.

Similar audiences vs audience growth vs optimized targeting

What is the difference between audience expansion and similar audiences? Let’s look at them.

Similar audiences Find people that resemble your audience segments (remarketing list), so Google will still follow your audience targeting parameters.

Optimized targeting as well as Audience expansion can be used to find people who are not within your audience targeting parameters. However, they will do so in different ways.

Audience growth will grow your audience but not into new segments. Even though users in these segments are more likely to convert, it will not expand on your audience. It expands the audience.

Source

Optimized Targeting is the opposite. It expands those conversions so it will find people like people who converted on your ad. However you define a conversion: purchasers or leads. Even if they are different from your original audience, this conversion can still be used. Optimized targeting was introduced in June 20,21.

It makes sense, then, that Audience expansion is not available for reach-focused video campaigns (Video campaigns using the “Product and Brand consideration” goal or “Brand awareness, reach” goal), while Optimized targeting can only be used for Discovery, Display and conversion-focused video campaigns (Video actions campaigns).

For these campaign types, Optimized targeting can be turned on at the Ad Group level. Get a refresher course on all Google Ads campaigns types here.

Expert tips for optimizing targeting

This was the topic of a conversation I had with PPC Influencer Jyll Skin Gales. She just created this Google Ads audience target cheat sheet and she shares her thoughts and perspectives on Optimized Targeting here.

Optimized targeting is the “broad match”, or the ability to target the right audience.

“This is one example of the situations where Google makes things more complicated than they should be. Many people don’t know the difference between Audience expansion or Optimized targeting. This distinction isn’t really important.

Optimized targeting is, to me, the “broad match” of the audience.

The goal is to let algorithms do their best and find opportunities to improve your CPA, ROAS or any other metric you have optimized your bid strategy for (ergo optimized targeting).

Optimize your targeting now

Optimized targeting should be turned on for all eligible campaigns that use similar segments as soon possible. This will allow your campaigns to learn and optimize (Ha! Before it’s too late

For a week, keep it going. Next, check your audience reporting under the Audiences tab. This will allow you to compare optimized targeting with how your segments are performing.

• Keep them both on if they are alike
• Optimized targeting can perform significantly better than your audiences. Keep it up and reconsider your audience selections.
• Optimized targeting that performs significantly less than your audiences is a sign to turn it off.

Optimized targeting is not a good idea for remarketing campaigns

Optimized targeting should never be used in a Remarketing campaign. By definition, remarketing shows ads to people who have a relationship to your business. Optimized target will show ads to people who don’t belong to your remarketing list.

You might also want to see some remarketing errors to avoid here.

Upward and upward

Let’s end it with Jyll’s final word: Get optimized targeting started now!

“Google Ads professionals have had to adapt to many major changes, including the changes in keyword match types and the introduction of Performance Max. Optimized targeting might not be on your Google Ads wishlist but it is time to give it a try.

Jyll, thank you for these tips!

The post Google is Sunsetting Related Audiences in 2023 – What You Need To Know appeared originally on WordStream.