A global leader in SEO, content marketing, and data analytics, Anastasia Braitsik is our Digital Marketing expert. With Google’s ad revenue recently soaring past $100 billion in a single quarter, it’s clear that search marketing is more powerful than ever. However, the old playbook of just targeting keywords no longer guarantees success. True performance now demands a more sophisticated approach, blending the art of audience understanding with the science of targeting technology. We’ll be exploring how to move beyond basic search to build a modern, multi-layered strategy, delving into the nuances of content versus audience targeting, the creation of powerful custom segments for niche markets, and navigating the complexities of advertising in restricted industries. We will also reframe the conversation around high-cost clicks, focusing on value over volume to drive meaningful results.
Many marketers focus on high-intent keywords like “vacation packages.” How do you go beyond the keyword to tailor messaging for different audiences, such as honeymooners versus retirees, and what specific targeting layers would you combine to achieve this? Please provide a step-by-step example.
That’s the fundamental challenge we face today. The keyword “vacation packages” is a perfect example of a signal that’s strong on intent but weak on context. My whole philosophy centers on finding the intersection of that intent with the right audience fit. Just bidding on the keyword is a missed opportunity because you’re treating a honeymooning couple the same as a family with toddlers. The key is to start with the keyword as your base and then layer on audience signals to segment the traffic. For instance, to reach honeymooners, I would layer on a “Life Events” audience of people who are recently married or engaged. For retirees, I’d use “Detailed Demographics” to target the appropriate age bracket and potentially another “Life Events” segment for those who have recently retired. Only then do you craft the ad creative, offering romantic getaways to one group and relaxed, all-inclusive tours to the other. It’s a multi-step process: identify the core intent, segment with audience layers, and then customize the message.
When planning a new campaign, how do you decide the right mix between content targeting, like specific YouTube placements, and audience targeting, such as in-market segments? Could you share an anecdote where one approach dramatically outperformed the other and explain why?
Deciding on that mix really comes down to answering two fundamental questions: “How can I sell my offer?” and “How can I reach a specific kind of person?” If my goal is to find people actively looking to buy, audience targeting, like using Google’s in-market segments, is my go-to. These are people whose digital behavior signals they are close to a purchase. On the other hand, if I need to build awareness and associate my brand with a certain lifestyle or area of expertise, content targeting is invaluable. I once worked on a campaign for a high-end kitchen gadget. Initially, we focused on specific YouTube placements on popular cooking channels. The views were high, but the sales were flat. The audience was interested in cooking, but not necessarily in buying a premium tool right then. We pivoted our strategy to focus heavily on an “in-market for kitchen appliances” audience, showing our ads across the web to people actively researching. The conversion rate shot up immediately because we stopped trying to create demand and instead focused on capturing it.
Custom segments allow advertisers to target people based on search activity or sites they visit. For a niche B2B software company, could you walk me through the process of creating a powerful custom segment from scratch, detailing the specific search terms and competitor URLs you would use?
Absolutely. Custom segments are one of an expert’s most powerful tools, especially in the B2B space where audiences are so specific. Let’s imagine we’re promoting lead generation software for Google Ads practitioners. The first thing I’d do is brainstorm the unique language this audience uses. I would build a segment based on Google search terms like “Performance Max,” “Smart Bidding,” or even long-tail queries like “how to improve Google Ads CPA.” These are terms an average person wouldn’t search for. Next, I’d layer in website visitation signals. I’d add URLs of industry news sites like searchengineland.com, popular PPC blogs, and the login pages of competitor software. Finally, I’d even target people who use specific apps, like the official Google Ads mobile app. By combining these three pillars—search terms, website visits, and app usage—you create a highly concentrated audience segment. You’re no longer just targeting an interest; you’re targeting a professional’s daily digital footprint.
For advertisers in sensitive categories like healthcare, remarketing and custom segments are often restricted. What does a “non-linear” targeting strategy look like in practice, and how do you use creative elements and ad copy to effectively filter for the right audience without traditional targeting tools?
Navigating sensitive categories is a true test of a marketer’s creativity. When your most precise tools like remarketing and custom segments are off the table, you have to adopt what I call a “non-linear” strategy. Instead of focusing on the offer, you put all your energy into defining the audience and then let the creative do the heavy lifting of filtering. You might start with a broader, approved Google data audience that has some potential overlap, even if it feels imperfect. The magic happens in the ad itself. You use industry-specific jargon, abbreviations, or imagery that acts as a sort of “secret handshake.” For a medical device aimed at surgeons, the ad might show a very specific surgical tool or use an acronym only a specialist would recognize. Everyone else will see the ad, be completely uninterested, and scroll right past it. But for that small, intended audience, it will resonate deeply and pull them in. The creative becomes your targeting mechanism.
High CPCs can often deter advertisers. Could you elaborate on why a high cost-per-click isn’t necessarily a problem? Please share an example of a high-CPC, high-conversion-rate strategy you’ve implemented and the key metrics you used to justify the investment over a cheaper alternative.
This is a mindset shift I’m constantly encouraging. Marketers have been conditioned to fear high CPCs, but the real enemy isn’t the cost of the click; it’s low-quality traffic. A click that doesn’t convert is 100% wasted ad spend, whether it costs one dollar or ten. I’d much rather pay $10 per click for traffic that has a 10% conversion rate than pay $1 per click for traffic with a 0.02% conversion rate. In the first scenario, my cost per acquisition is $100. In the second, it’s a staggering $5,000. I worked on a campaign for a specialized legal service where clicks were incredibly expensive. We layered multiple targeting methods—in-market for legal services, specific keywords, and demographic data—to reach a very small, affluent audience. The CPCs were high, but because the traffic was so qualified, the conversion rate was phenomenal. When we presented the results, we didn’t lead with the CPC; we led with the cost per acquisition, which was well below the client’s target. That’s the metric that truly matters.
Looking at the different types of audience data, when would you prioritize using Google’s prebuilt segments, like in-market or affinity audiences, versus focusing resources on building and scaling an audience from your own first-party data, such as a customer list?
The choice between Google’s data and your own data really hinges on your campaign goal: are you looking for new customers or nurturing existing ones? Google’s prebuilt segments—like in-market for travel or affinity for vegetarianism—are fantastic for acquisition. They give you immediate scale and access to people you haven’t reached before, helping you fill the top of your funnel. However, when it comes to driving loyalty, upselling, or re-engaging past customers, nothing beats your own first-party data. Using Customer Match to upload your customer list allows you to deliver highly personalized messages to people who already know and trust your brand. Ideally, a sophisticated strategy uses both. You use Google’s data to find new prospects and bring them to your site, and once they’re in your ecosystem and become part of your first-party data, you use that data to build a deeper, more profitable relationship.
What is your forecast for Google Ads targeting?
My forecast is that targeting will become simultaneously more automated and more reliant on strategic human oversight. We’re already seeing this with tools like Performance Max, which use audience signals to guide Google’s machine learning. The future isn’t about manually picking every keyword or placement; it’s about feeding the machine the highest quality data and creative assets. The role of the PPC professional will evolve from being a technician to being a strategist who deeply understands their customer. Success will depend on our ability to craft compelling creative, build robust first-party data lists, and provide the AI with the right strategic direction. The advertisers who learn to collaborate with the automation, rather than fight it, will be the ones who continue to drive strong results.
