Most people who visit your website won't get in touch the first time. They're comparing options, they get interrupted, or they mean to come back later and forget. Retargeting is how you remind them.
Done well, it's some of the best-value advertising a local business can run. Done badly, it's the ad that follows people around the internet for a month and annoys them. Here's how to do it well.
What retargeting is
Retargeting, also called remarketing, shows ads to people who've already visited your website. A small piece of code on your site notes each visit, then lets Google or Meta show your ads to those people later, while they search, scroll or watch videos.
The setup is simpler than it sounds:
- On Meta, install the Meta Pixel and, ideally, the Conversions API, then build a Custom Audience of website visitors in Ads Manager.
- On Google, add the Google tag through Google Ads or link your GA4 property, then create an audience of site visitors in Google Ads.
- Everywhere, add a cookie banner if the law where your customers live requires one, and mention the tracking in your privacy policy.
One catch: both platforms need a minimum number of people in an audience before they'll show ads to it. If your site gets very little traffic, build that first with search ads, SEO or social, then add retargeting.
Who to bring back
Not every visitor is worth chasing. Split them by what they did:
- Visitors to your service pages who didn't get in touch. They were close, and they're your best audience.
- People who started a form or booking and didn't finish. Remind them soon, while they still remember why.
- Homepage-only visitors who left after a few seconds. They're a lower priority, since many landed by accident.
- Leave out the wrong people. Exclude anyone who's already called, booked or bought, plus visitors to your careers page and existing clients signing in to their account. Nobody wants an ad for something they already have.
To leave out people who've already booked, exclude everyone who reached your thank-you page, or upload your customer list.
Then match the time window to how people buy. For an urgent job like a blocked drain, a week is plenty, because they've hired someone by then. For a kitchen remodel, a wedding venue or a new lawyer, people take weeks or months to decide, so a window of 30 to 90 days makes more sense.
What to show them
Retargeting isn't the place for the same ad they already ignored. They've seen your site. Use the ad to answer whatever stopped them from getting in touch.
- Proof. A real review, your star rating, a before and after. Doubt is one of the biggest reasons people leave.
- What they looked at. If they viewed your teeth whitening page, show teeth whitening, not your practice in general.
- A reason to act now. A seasonal slot, limited availability or a small first-visit offer, as long as it's true.
- A different angle. A short video of the owner, the team at work or a walk through the space.
- An easy next step. "Call now" or "Book online", with one tap, instead of "Learn more".
Rotate two or three ads so the same one doesn't run for months, and keep each one consistent with your website, so people recognise you straight away.
Use the ad to answer whatever stopped them from getting in touch.
When to stop
The difference between helpful and creepy is mostly frequency. Seeing you a few times in a week is a reminder. Seeing you everywhere for a month is a reason to block you.
- Cap how often people see you. Google lets you set frequency caps on display and video campaigns. On Meta, watch the frequency column in Ads Manager, and refresh or pause ads when it climbs.
- Stop when they convert. Make sure people who call, book or buy drop out of the audience straight away.
- Let the window close. If someone hasn't come back by the end of your window, let them go.
- Judge it on results, not clicks. If retargeting brings calls and bookings, keep it. If it only brings clicks, rethink the ads or the audience.
One last caution. If you work in healthcare, be careful with tracking pixels and retargeting. Google and Meta both restrict ads aimed at people based on health topics, and US regulators have warned healthcare providers about pixels that share patient information. Get advice before you add tracking to a medical site.
Retargeting works best alongside the ads that bring people in the first time. Here's where to start with Google and Meta. And if you'd like it set up properly, tracking and all, that's part of how we run ads for home services and other local businesses.
