RLSA is the application of Retargeting audiences to traditional search campaigns, which if you think about it, is the bridge between two very powerful forms of targeting. In search marketing, you know a great deal about the intent of your audience based on the context of their search. What has been lacking, however, is insight into who that person really is. On the other hand, well-segmented retargeting audiences have immeasurable amounts of demographic and psychographic information, but like any display advertising, lack the known intent that you get from keywords in a search engine. Combining these two can lead to some extremely efficient campaigns, improve the experiences between people and advertisers, and even open up new opportunities that might otherwise be too cost prohibitive.

1. Introduction
SMX East 2013 0
SwellPath is a Search and Analytics agency based in Portland, OR
Craig Galyon
Sr. PPC & Media Specialist, SwellPath
@craiggalyon

2. Agenda
SMX East 2013 1
1. What are Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSA)?
• Why do we (Advanced Retargeters) care?
2. How do I do that?
• Setup
• Pitfalls
3. What should I do?
• Quick Wins
• Endless possibilities
4. Is it worth doing?
• Yes

3. Part 1: What are RLSAs
SMX East 2013 2
1. What are Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSA)?
• Why do we (Advanced Retargeters) care?
2. How do I do that?
• Setup
• Pitfalls
3. What should I do?
• Quick Wins
• Endless possibilities
4. Is it worth doing?
• Yes

4. What are Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSA)?
SMX East 2013 3
Remarketing Lists for Search Ads
• Product feature in Google AdWords
• Layers Remarketing audience targeting over Search PPC campaigns
• Released in Beta July, 2012. Released to all advertisers July, 2013

5. Why do I care?
SMX East 2013 4
RLSA combines power of display audience targeting with context and intent of
search marketing.
Search Display
Strength Determining intent Identifying audience
Weakness Identifying audience Determining intent
Gross over simplification of digital channels

6. Part 2: Setup
SMX East 2013 5
1. What are Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSA)?
• Why do we (Advanced Retargeters) care?
2. How do I do that?
• Setup
• Pitfalls
3. What should I do?
• Quick Wins
• Endless possibilities
4. Is it worth doing?
• Yes

7. Audiences (Google Search)
SMX East 2013 6
Create Remarketing segments, as simple or complex as you would like
List size may differ between
Google Search and Display
Network.
• Separate cookie for
Search/Display lists
• Search was introduced
in July, 2013. Any
visitors prior to that
date would not be
included Search list
• Search list does not
include users who are
signed-in to Google

8. How to Setup RLSA?
SMX East 2013 7

9. Audience Settings
SMX East 2013 8
Set at ad group level
Use any of your Remarketing
lists or Custom combinations
Choose targeting type

10. SMX East 2013 9
Choose targeting type

11. 8 days of “whoops”…
SMX East 2013 10
Applied wrong targeting
Changed targeting

12. Can you guess which?
SMX East 2013 11
B
A
A) Target and Bid / Bid Only
B) Target and Bid / Bid Only

13. Can you guess which?
SMX East 2013 12
B
A
A) Target and Bid / Bid Only
B) Target and Bid / Bid Only

14. Congratulations!
SMX East 2013 13

15. So what happened?
SMX East 2013 14
AdWords Editor happened.
Lists options, but no option to change Targeting setting in AdWords Editor

16. So what happened?
SMX East 2013 15
Copy/Paste doesn’t work either…
If copying/pasting an audience, defaults to “Target and bid”
(this was my error)
What’s the solution…

17. SMX East 2013 16
Do whatever motivates you. Then do it manually.

18. That’s it!
SMX East 2013 17
Implementation is the same as any Display Remarketing campaign.

19. Part 3: Ideas
SMX East 2013 18
1. What are Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSA)?
• Why do we (Advanced Retargeters) care?
2. How do I do that?
• Setup
• Pitfalls
3. What should I do?
• Quick Wins
• Endless possibilities
4. Is it worth doing?
• Yes

20. Quick Win #1 (we’re talking 2 minutes quick…)
SMX East 2013 19
Excluding current users
Create audience for users who already subscribe to your product.
Reduce wasted spend (particularly in Branded search) by excluding this audience

21. Quick Win #1 – Excluding current users
SMX East 2013 20

22. Quick Win #2 – Quick but not as quick
SMX East 2013 21
Separate new vs. returning visitors
1. Duplicate campaigns (easiest in AdWords Editor)
2. Apply “Target and bid” targeting to new campaign
Hidden trap:
Ads from each version of campaign will compete
with one another.
• Google recommends increasing CPCs on new
campaign to outrank original ads.
• Craig recommends excluding your audience
from the original campaign. No increase in
cost, no chance ads will overlap.

23. Quick Win #2.1 – Adjust Ad Copy
SMX East 2013 22
“If you tell the same story over and over, people stop wanting to talk to you.”
-Jennie Smythe, Owner, Girlilla Marketing
Adjust ad copy for returning visitors
• Use stronger buying signals like “Buy Now”, “Save Money”, “Don’t Leave Me Again”
• Ads cannot target users with messaging that suggests you know they’ve taken any action.
• “Exclusive Selection of Red Nike Shoes” – ok
• “Looking for Red Nikes? We have ‘em” – not ok
• Send return visitors to deeper, more targeted landing pages

24. Quick Win #2.2 – Adjust Bids
SMX East 2013 23
Adjust bids for new vs. returning visitors
• Use insights from Google Analytics to determine value of each
Returning Visitors are worth 3x a New Visitor

25. Does it work?
SMX East 2013 24
6x more likely to convert
77% decrease in CPA
Separating new vs. returning visitors
New Visitors Return Visitors
54x clicks
33% decrease in Avg. CPC

26. Quick Win #3 – Bid Modifier for Competitive Keywords
SMX East 2013 25
Use “Bid only” targeting to increase traffic from high value/high cost keywords
Increasing volume of conversions, mitigate increase in CPA in process
Results
Implemented “Bid Only” targeting adjustment
18% increase in Avg. CPC
4% increase in CPA
The Good The Bad
36% increase in Conversions
20% increase in Clicks (all from return visitors)

27. Not-So-Quick Wins – Buying Behavior
SMX East 2013 26
Use Analytics to better understand your buying cycles
Most transactions
occur on the first
day, but lower value
products
Create audience
segment for 3-5
days and target ads
towards higher
value products
$$

28. NSQW – Upsell Products
SMX East 2013 27
Problem:
• Typically restrictive to advertise for small ticket items
based on low margins. Missed opportunity due to CPA.
Solution:
• Segment users based on past buying behavior, and
time, to only serve to most relevant audience.
• Promote accessories, add-ons, complimentary products
• In addition to revenue gains, creates more loyal,
long-term customers
Example:
Brand selling consumer electronics can segment visitors
who purchased a camera.
• Upsell camera bags, stands between 7-14 days
• Upsell camera lenses 30-45 days

29. NSQW – Market research
SMX East 2013 28
Stalk Get to know your customers
Use Broad match keywords as a tool to better understand your consumers search behavior
post-conversion.
How-to:
1. Create lists of converted users with short cookie length (1-2 days)
2. Target head terms with Broad Match type
3. Bid aggressively to maximize impressions
4. Monitor Search Query Reports for valuable insights
What you can expect:
1. Terrible quality scores
2. Low CTRs
3. Expensive CPCs
4. Deeper understanding of your consumer’s needs and ways you can improve
engagement

30. Part 4: Is it worth it?
SMX East 2013 29
1. What are Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSA)?
• Why do we (Advanced Retargeters) care?
2. How do I do that?
• Setup
• Pitfalls
3. What should I do?
• Quick Wins
• Endless possibilities
4. Is it worth doing?
• Yes

31. Is it worth it?
SMX East 2013 30
About 00,000,001 results (0.20 seconds)
Yes – Yes they are
Results for are rlsa campaigns worth the effort?
The Internet – 1 hour ago
It is official. You should implement RLSA campaigns today.

32. SMX East 2013 31
ank
ou
How bout that Breaking Bad finale, right?
Craig Galyon
Sr. PPC & Media Specialist, SwellPath
@craiggalyon