The online world has opened up a wealth of opportunities for advertisers to reach broader audiences, but until recently, Pay-Per-Click (PPC) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) have taken the lion’s share of online advertising budgets.

But advertisers are starting to see the benefits of display advertising; and with the rise of innovative technology like programmatic buying, display advertising is enjoying a resurgence, as it’s able to achieve granular targeting of consumers at scale.

Search Retargeting is a popular and powerful online advertising technique that improves targeting further, by combining the efficiency of search with the reach and branding power of display, to increase leads and sales. For a more thorough definition of what search retargeting is please read our search retargeting brochure.

How does Search Retargeting work?

Search retargeting uses a consumer’s online search data to determine which display advertising will have the desired effect. Consumers are then targeted with ads related to the content in which they have already displayed an interest. By continually placing particular products and services in front of a consumer, it can drive them to or revisit your website.

There are plenty of reasons to include search retargeting in your digital advertising efforts. Listed below are four of the best:

1. Choose Your Audience

With search retargeting you have finite control over which customers see your ads based on which keywords or keywords phrases they have searched. This strategy can lead to powerful and very positive results as it is combining the knowledge that a user previously had interest related to your product or service with the benefit of repeated brand exposure.

2. Lower Cost-Per-Clicks

Search retargeting display ads tend to have lower cost-per-clicks than other types on online search ads, and you can setup your bids in two ways. The first way is to get charged for every thousand views your ad receives. The other option is to pay for each click you receive. This enables you to get the most out of your advertising budget.

3. Additional Impressions

As long as you have a big enough list of keywords associated with your search retargeting campaign, you can achieve a high number of impressions.

4. Branding Benefits

Search retargeting display ads can also provide you with an opportunity to additionally expose your brand and raise awareness. Even if your audience isn’t planning on purchasing anything in the near future, display ads displayed as a result of the user's previous keyword search history will keep your brand at the top of customer minds for the future.