What Is Retargeting?
Serving ads to people who have previously visited your website or engaged with your content.
Retargeting (also called remarketing) is the practice of serving targeted ads to people who have already interacted with your brand, whether by visiting your website, engaging with content, or appearing on a customer list. The technology uses cookies, pixel tracking, or list matching to identify and reach these known audiences.
For demand gen, retargeting is one of the highest-ROI channels because the audience already knows you. A website visitor who browsed your product page but did not convert is far more likely to respond to an ad than a cold prospect. Retargeting CPAs are typically 50-70% lower than prospecting campaigns.
Common retargeting strategies in demand gen include website visitor retargeting (anyone who visited key pages), content engagement retargeting (people who downloaded an asset but did not convert to MQL), and ABM retargeting (serving ads to specific accounts regardless of prior engagement).
The key to effective retargeting is segmentation. Showing the same generic ad to every past visitor wastes budget. Segment by behavior: pricing page visitors see a demo offer, blog readers see a relevant ebook, and trial users see a feature comparison. Match the retargeting creative to where the prospect is in their journey.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between retargeting and remarketing?
The terms are used interchangeably in practice. Technically, retargeting refers to serving ads to past visitors using pixel data, while remarketing often refers to email campaigns to existing contacts. Google uses 'remarketing' for their ad retargeting product.
How long should a retargeting window be?
For B2B with 3-6 month sales cycles, a 90-180 day retargeting window is standard. Shorter windows (30 days) work for lower-consideration products. Adjust based on your average buying cycle length.