Google Launches Cross-Device Retargeting

You may have seen a pop-up recently on your Google Analytics and Google Adwords account about the update on automatic enhancements of Remarketing Audiences on the 17th of May. It means that Google is no longer reliant on mobile IDs and cookies to identify users specifically for remarketing across its network. Last September, Google’s VP of Display and Video Advertising, Brad Bender announced the shift in the introduction of a new cross-device remarketing functionality for Google Display Network and DoubleClick Bid Manager. The global roll-out will allow marketers to reach the same user across devices, apps and sites.

“Now when users visit a website on mobile, advertisers can use AdWords and the Google Display Network to retarget that user later on a desktop. In the past, a web visitor would need to visit both mobile and desktop sites. They were recorded twice in analytics, then the frequency capping and negative list exclusion was set at the browser or mobile ID level on each device,” says Glide’s CEO, Es Chandra.

How does remarketing with Google Analytics work?

Cross-device remarketing allows advertisers to reach customers with an ad on their mobile device during their morning commute. Brands can then later reinforce this message. They can do so with a follow-up limited time offer, which can nurture action, when this same prospect browses their tablet at home, for instance.

This comes in line with Google’s recent release of Customer Match, which enabled advertisers to upload and target email lists in AdWords. You can now target prospects on Search, Gmail and YouTube, based on their email address. Advertisers have wanted demographic targeting in search, and now Google are testing that delivery.

Customer centric retargeting

“Marketers can now tailor ad frequency based upon individuals, rather than platforms. They can capture and exploit micro-moments which allows for more strategic message delivery and sequencing. Google has followed Facebook’s lead in leveraging its user data for ad targeting. Brands can now access signed-in user data to assist them to reach their audience in the moments that matter. They can do that whilst measuring effects across devices and channels,” says Es.

In October 2013, Google launched the first stage of the ‘Estimated Cross-Device Conversions’ in AdWords for real-world implications, which will eventually include in-store visits and links to phone calls. As reported by Google, people make more than 40 million calls to businesses each month directly from its ads. However, that data was not incorporated into the bidding tools in AdWords at that time, but that’s expected to come. 

“Acknowledging this omnichannel movement will ultimately allow ads to reach users on all devices, without the need for creation of multiple campaigns. The aim will be for measurement tools to capture any conversion, that starts with an AdWords click, on a different device, via phone or in-store,” says Es.

“These tools are closing loops between online and offline, mobile and desktop. Mobile has created new ways for brand engagement with consumers. Lines are blurring between the physical and digital space. Buyers may research online, but acquire in-store. Or, monitor brands on TV, then investigate online. They may consume mobile videos in transit. This, in turn, spurs a purchase at home on a laptop, or at work on a desktop.”

Intent versus context

When customers come across your business, smartphones act as their go-to advisor, or PA. This provides brands with big opportunities to be present and useful in their consumers’ micro-moments. People are now omni-channel, across their individual buyer’s journey, and mobile is accelerating these moments.

Micro-moments begin when individuals acknowledge or show intent towards products or services. That intent leads to a process of research or analysis, and eventually decision or purchase. This is your persona’s ‘buyer’s journey’. It also creates your specific sales funnel stages.

Whatever the time, day or night, you now need to be there. The key is not to just focus on getting people to destinations. Rather, it is for brands to be present online when and where it’s convenient for prospects to show intent, convert to leads and exchange information.

“Research and analytics are therefore crucial. Brands must understand, to act on intent, within the correct context. Intent involves the wants at a given moment (buying or browsing). Context encapsulates the location and device used. Combining these two, with any data collected (such as past visits and loyalty), allows brands to be present and useful at the specific micro-moment needed,” says Es.

Brand Lift

According to Google Inside AdWords, YouTube generates almost two times more Google searches per impression than TV. Google’s “Brand Lift” is available to show advertisers through the entire customer journey, how YouTube campaigns impact brand metrics, like awareness and purchase intent. If you’re using “Brand Lift” on a TV and YouTube campaign, you’ll receive incremental searches for your brand. You will be able to scientifically compare the effectiveness of cross media campaigns.

The use of Google-authenticated identifiers

However, cross-device remarketing will be limited to signed-in users.

Where users have chosen to enable Google to associate their web and app browsing history with their Google account and to use information from their Google account to personalise ads they see across the web. Google will use data from its signed-in users together with your Google Analytics data to build and define audience lists for cross-device remarketing. In order to support this feature, Google Analytics will collect these users’ Google-authenticated identifiers, which are Google’s personal data. It will temporarily join them to your Google Analytics data in order to populate your audiences. (Google)

To support the market share of Google in Australia, half of all phones sold in Australia during 2016 ran Android. (Gizmodo) And Google Chrome accounts for 60% of browser usage in Australia. (Clicky)

In conclusion

To prepare, as per the recent Google announcement in AdWords:

Starting May 15, 2017, Remarketing Audiences created in Google Analytics will be enhanced to automatically take advantage of new cross-device remarketing functionality now available in AdWords and DoubleClick. This will allow you to reach your customers across devices when using Google Analytics Audiences… With cross-device remarketing in AdWords and DoubleClick, if someone visits your website on one device, you can now reach them with more relevant ads when they search or browse on another device…

No action is required for these changes to take effect. But please review your privacy policies. Make any necessary updates to explain what data your business collects and shares with Google. These changes do not affect your rights to your Google Analytics data, which you still own. As always, Google users can control their ads experience (or opt out of personalised ads altogether) at My Account. If you don’t wish to enable Remarketing with Google Analytics, please turn off remarketing data collection.