What is Retargeting?
Retargeting is showing ads to people who have already visited your site or engaged with your brand.
Why Retargeting matters
Typically the highest-ROAS channel (5-15x). Built from custom audiences — site visitors, cart abandoners, past purchasers. Best retargeting segments: cart abandoners within 7 days, past purchasers 30-60 days post-purchase.
Common mistakes with Retargeting
- 1
Trusting platform attribution. Meta and Google overstate their contribution by 30-60% on most accounts.
- 2
Scaling winning ad sets too fast. 30%/week is the safe ceiling — faster usually breaks the algorithm and learning resets.
- 3
Ignoring creative fatigue. Most ads peak by week 2-3. If frequency exceeds 3, plan refresh.
How to improve Retargeting
Set up a creative testing cadence: 8-12 fresh ad concepts per week, retire any ad with frequency > 3 or CTR drop > 30%.
Use server-side conversions API on Meta and enhanced conversions on Google. Match rates 70%+ unlock algorithm performance.
Build a 4-tier audience structure: cold prospecting, warm engagers, retargeting, post-purchase. Different creative, different targets.
Common questions about Retargeting
What is Retargeting?▾
Why does Retargeting matter for marketing teams?▾
Related terms
Need help applying Retargeting to your business?
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