To set up Google Ads remarketing: install the Google tag on your website, create audience segments in Google Ads (website visitors, cart abandoners, past converters), then build a Display or Search remarketing campaign targeting those segments.
Remarketing is one of the highest-ROI activities in Google Ads because you are re-engaging people who already know your brand. This step-by-step guide walks South African businesses through the complete remarketing setup process. For context on how remarketing works, read our guide to Google Ads campaign types.
Step 1: Install the Google Tag on Your Website
Remarketing requires the Google tag (formerly Google Ads conversion tracking tag) to be installed on every page of your website. This tag places a cookie in website visitors’ browsers, identifying them as members of your remarketing audience. Without the tag, remarketing is impossible.
To find your Google tag: in Google Ads, go to Tools > Conversions > Google Tag. Copy the tag code and paste it into the
section of every page on your site. If you use Google Tag Manager (recommended), install the Google Ads Remarketing tag through GTM instead. Most South African website platforms (WordPress, Shopify, Squarespace) have direct integrations with GTM or Google Ads tags.Step 2: Create Remarketing Audience Lists
Once the tag is installed and collecting data (allow 24-48 hours), create your audience lists. In Google Ads, go to Tools > Audience Manager > Audience Lists > + Website Visitors.
- All website visitors: Everyone who visited any page — broadest remarketing pool
- Product or service page visitors: People who viewed specific service pages — higher intent
- Contact page visitors: People who reached the contact page but did not convert
- Thank you page visitors (converters): People who completed a conversion — exclude from lead gen campaigns
- Cart abandoners (e-commerce): People who added to cart but did not purchase
Step 3: Set Membership Duration
Membership duration determines how long a visitor stays in your remarketing list. The default is 30 days. For most South African service businesses, 30-60 days is appropriate. E-commerce businesses retargeting cart abandoners might use 7-14 days for maximum relevance. B2B businesses with long sales cycles might extend to 90-180 days. Longer durations mean larger audience pools but potentially lower relevance.
Step 4: Build a Remarketing Campaign
Create a new campaign in Google Ads. For standard remarketing (banner ads on websites and apps), choose Display campaign. For remarketing to people who searched on Google, choose Search campaign and apply the audience as a bid adjustment (Observation) rather than targeting only.
- Display remarketing: Shows banner and responsive ads on websites across the Google Display Network
- Search remarketing (RLSA): Adjusts bids on search keywords for past visitors — bid higher for people who already know you
- YouTube remarketing: Shows video ads to past website visitors watching YouTube
- Customer match: Upload a list of email addresses to remarket to known customers
Step 5: Create Your Remarketing Ads
For Display remarketing, use Responsive Display Ads — upload headlines, descriptions, logos, and images, and Google automatically generates ad combinations. Effective remarketing ads acknowledge that the viewer has visited your site: ‘Still thinking about [service]?’ or ‘Get the quote you requested’ perform better than generic brand ads.
Step 6: Set Bids and Budgets
Remarketing audiences are more valuable than cold audiences because of prior brand exposure. Most Google Ads advertisers bid 30-50% higher for remarketing lists than for general search traffic. Set your remarketing campaign budget separately from your prospecting campaigns to give you visibility and control over both. For guidance on bidding strategies, see our conversion tracking guide — accurate conversion data is essential for effective remarketing bidding.
Frequently Asked Questions
How large does my remarketing audience need to be?
Google requires a minimum of 100 active users in a Display remarketing list and 1,000 active users in a Search remarketing list before the list becomes usable. South African businesses with lower website traffic may need 2-4 weeks of tag collection before lists are large enough. If your traffic is very low, focus on growing organic and paid traffic first before investing in remarketing infrastructure.
Can I do remarketing without a website tag?
Yes — Customer Match remarketing uses uploaded email lists instead of website tags. You can also use Google’s engagement audiences (people who have viewed your YouTube videos or interacted with your Google Ads) without a website tag. However, website-based remarketing remains the most common and usually most effective approach.
How do I exclude past converters from my remarketing campaigns?
In your campaign settings, go to Audiences > Exclusions and add your converter audience (people who reached your thank you or confirmation page). This prevents you from spending budget re-advertising to people who have already become customers, improving campaign efficiency.
What is RLSA remarketing?
RLSA (Remarketing Lists for Search Ads) allows you to adjust your search keyword bids based on whether the searcher has previously visited your website. Rather than targeting only your past visitors on search (which would severely limit reach), RLSA is typically used in Observation mode — you bid normally on keywords but apply a bid increase for past visitors, giving them priority in the auction.
How long does it take for remarketing to start working?
After installing the tag, allow 24-48 hours for data collection to begin and audience lists to start populating. Once lists reach minimum size (100 for Display, 1,000 for Search), campaigns can start serving. Most South African businesses see the first remarketing impressions within 3-7 days of tag installation, assuming sufficient website traffic.