Retargeter

Retargeting Performs Better Outside the Google Network

One of our key strengths here at ReTargeter is our ability to advertise on well over 98% of the web.  Our incredible network reach means that we are able to reach our clients’ users virtually anywhere they go online.  This is particularly crucial for retargeting, where you aren’t showing ads based on context, but rather based on audience.  Since you never know where your users will be online, you need the option to show an ad to a given user anywhere, anytime.  While you certainly don’t want to advertise on sites that could actively harm your brand, being able to advertise all over the web is crucial to ensure you can serve sufficient impressions.  Without sufficient impressions, the power of retargeting is severely limited.

Some of the networks ReTargeter advertises on.

Of all the networks ReTargeter advertises on (and there are dozens), Google’s display network is by far the largest and the most recognizable.  So it doesn’t surprise us that there is one question that comes up again and again: how do ads on Google inventory perform relative to ads elsewhere?

We’ve tackled this question before, with a specific case study around a year ago.  We broached the subject again several months later.

However, the display advertising world moves quickly, and what was true last month may not be true this month.  We took yet another look at some more recent data and the results might surprise you.

Looking at data from all of our campaigns in February, we found the average click-through rate (CTR) to be 0.15% for all non-Google inventory, while CTR for Google inventory was 0.08%.  Click-through rates were nearly twice as high for non-Google inventory.

That’s not to say that retargeting on Google inventory isn’t valuable, nor is it to say Google inventory should be excluded from a retargeting campaign.  To reiterate, the goal in any retargeting campaign should be to have access to as much inventory as possible.  It’s also worth noting that there are more conversions that may be influenced by retargeting than those which are tracked.

It’s also important to bear in mind that individual results vary and no two campaigns are precisely alike—what works extraordinarily well for some campaigns may not be quite so effective for others.  Always work with your retargeting provider to ensure that your retargeting campaign is aligned precisely with your unique goals.