Remarketing List for Search Ads (RLSA)

Remarketing List for Search Ads (RLSA) is a feature offered by Google Ads (formerly Google AdWords) that allows advertisers to target their search ads to specific groups of people who have previously interacted with their website. RLSA allows you to customise your search ad campaigns for people who have already shown an interest in your products or services by visiting your website. By using RLSA, you can increase the relevancy of your ads and improve the performance of your search campaigns.

How RLSA Works

When someone visits your website, a cookie is placed on their browser. When that person later conducts a search on Google, your ads will be shown to them, with the option to bid differently or to show different ad copy or extensions. The beauty of RLSA is that you can increase your bids for these people, since they are more likely to convert. You can also exclude people who have converted, so that you don’t waste money on them.

Benefits of Using RLSA

• Increased relevance: By targeting previous visitors to your website, you can ensure that your ads are being shown to people who are already familiar with your brand and have shown interest in your products or services. This can lead to higher click-through rates (CTR) and conversion rates.
• Improved ROI: By increasing your bids for previous website visitors, you can increase your chances of showing up at the top of search results. This can lead to more clicks, more conversions, and ultimately a higher return on investment (ROI).
• Greater control: With RLSA, you have the ability to segment your audience and tailor your ad campaigns accordingly. This allows you to focus on specific groups of people and deliver more relevant messages to them.
• Efficiency: RLSA can be used to exclude people who have already converted, which means you are not wasting ad spend on people who have already made a purchase. This can improve overall efficiency of your campaigns and can also be used to prevent invalid traffic and waste of ad spend, specifically for advertisers and PPC specialists.

How to Implement RLSA

1. Create a remarketing list: First, you’ll need to create a remarketing list. This can be done by adding a piece of code (called a tag) to your website that will place a cookie on the browser of anyone who visits your site.
2. Set up a search campaign: Next, you’ll need to set up a search campaign. This can be done through the Google Ads interface.
3. Add the remarketing list to your search campaign: Once your search campaign is set up, you’ll need to add your remarketing list as a targeting option. This can be done by going to the “Settings” tab and then selecting “Audiences.”
4. Set your bid adjustments: Next, you can set bid adjustments for your remarketing list. This means that you can increase your bids for people on your remarketing list in order to boost your chances of showing up at the top of search results.
5. Monitor and optimise: Finally, it’s important to monitor your RLSA campaigns closely and make adjustments as needed. This may include optimising your bids, ad copy, or targeting options.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between RLSA and regular search ads?

Regular search ads target people based on the keywords they enter into the search engine, regardless of whether they have previously visited your website or not. RLSA, on the other hand, targets people who have previously visited your website, allowing you to customise your search ad campaigns for this specific group of people. This means that the ads shown to this group will be more relevant to them and therefore, more likely to result in a conversion.

How long does the cookie last for?

The cookie placed on someone’s browser lasts for up to 540 days. This means that someone who visited your website 540 days ago will still be included in your RLSA campaigns.

Can I exclude people who have already converted?

Yes, you can exclude people who have already converted by creating a separate remarketing list for conversions and then excluding that list from your RLSA campaigns.

Are there any limits to the number of remarketing lists I can have?

There is no set limit to the number of remarketing lists you can have. However, it is important to note that the larger the number of lists, the more difficult it can become to manage them effectively. It’s generally recommended to have a select number of lists, to ensure you are not making your campaigns unnecessarily complicated.

Can I use RLSA for other platforms?

Currently, RLSA is only available for Google Ads. However, other platforms such as Bing Ads, Facebook and LinkedIn also have similar targeting options available.