How to Set up Google Remarketing for Events

If you’ve read our guide on how to segment and retarget your event audience, you might be wondering how Google remarketing for events works.

It’s slightly more finicky than Facebook retargeting. But it’s very effective, considering Google’s massive reach when it comes to their advertising network.

Read this guide to learn…

• What remarketing means
• What Google Ads tags are
• How to install them on your event website
• Different ways you can remarket with Google

What is remarketing?

You may be familiar with the term “retargeting”…so what is “remarketing”?

In the context of this article, “remarketing” is simply Google’s term for “retargeting.” It may be confusing, since all other platforms use the latter term, but that’s just how it is.

(If you want to really get technical, then “retargeting” typically refers to re-engaging people via display ads, while “remarketing” is about doing so via email. But let’s not head down that road today.)

For the rest of this article, we’ll follow Google’s lead and use “remarketing.”

What is a Google Ads tag?

If you’re familiar with Facebook Pixel, then you will already understand the mechanics of how a Google Ads tag works. It’s a small piece of code you install on your event website.

Once installed, it will collect information on everyone who visits your site. You will then be able to use that information to create remarketing campaigns for those visitors.

Since a Google Ads tag is a piece of code, it will be very helpful if you understand how your event website is set up. If you don’t, you might need a web developer to help you out.

Another thing to note is that your event website will need a certain amount of traffic before you’ll be able to retarget any of your visitors with Google Ads.

But when it’s all set up and running, everyone who visits your website will automatically be added to your Google remarketing lists in the Google Ads manager.

The Google Ads tag will also collect other useful information such as…

• The URL and title of the page people visit
• Which events they’ve viewed
• Whether or not they’ve started filling in a registration form

In other words, installing a Google Ads tag on your website will allow you to remarket your event to visitors based on very specific actions taken by them.

What is a global site tag?

A global site tag is the overall piece of code you need installed on your event website before you can collect information from your visitors.

The global site tag needs to be installed on every page of your website to work properly.

What is an event snippet?

An event snippet is another piece of code you can install on individual pages of your website to collect information about specific actions taken by your website visitors.

As opposed to the global site tag, the event snippet code doesn’t need to be installed on each page—only on the specific ones you want to monitor.

How to install a Google Ads tag

If you’re familiar with your website’s coding or have the assistance of a web developer, it’s time to set up your Google Ads tag.

The first step is to sign in to your Google Ads account. Once you’ve logged in, click on the little tool icon in the top right corner.

Select “Audience manager” from the section titled “Shared Library”.

You’ll see a panel on the left side of the screen. Click on the “Audience sources” tab to see which sources you can use to create remarketing lists.

You’ll now be presented with five different sources you can use to create your remarketing campaign:

• Google Ads tag
• Google Analytics
• App Analytics
• Google Play
• YouTube

Click the blue button that says “Set Up Tag”. You’ll see a new screen where you can customise how Google collects information from your event website visitors.

The different ways to collect website data

Your first option is to “only collect general website visit data to show ads to your website visitors.” That’s the simplest way to set it up but will also give you less flexibility.

The second option is to “collect data on specific actions that people performed on your website to show personalised ads.” That’ll allow you to target visitors based on what they do on your site.

You can now tell Google what kind of business you’re in. Since it doesn’t give you the option for “Events,” just select “Custom” for now.

The different ways to install the Google Ads tag

Congratulations, you’ve just created your Google Ads tag. You’ll now be prompted to install the tag on your website using one of three options:

• Install the tag yourself
• Email the tag to your web developer
• Use Google Tag Manager to install it

If you choose the first option, you’ll be presented with two pieces of code: one for the global site tag and another one for the event snippet.

The second option will simply give you a box where you can type in your web developer’s email address. The codes will then be sent to him or her to install.

The third option involves using Google Tag Manager. This can be easier if you don’t know much about your website’s coding and don’t have access to a web developer.

You’ll get a Conversion ID which you need to enter into Google Tag Manager.

What you can see with your Google Ads tag

Once you’ve installed your Google Ads tag, you’ll be sent back to the “Audience source” dashboard where you can now see your new tag.

If you click on the “Details” button, you’ll be able to see some statistics for how well your Google Ads tag has performed.

If you click on the blue number under “Lists”, you’ll see some audience segments automatically created by Google.

5 ways to remarket with Google Ads

Your Google Ads tag is set up! Now it’s time to look at how you can use it to retarget potential event attendees. Let’s go over some of the most common ways to do that.

1. Standard remarketing

The most common way to remarket is to show your event ads to your website visitors when they visit other websites that are covered by the Google Display Network.

2. Dynamic remarketing

Organising more than one event, or have any event merchandise you want to sell? Then you can use dynamic remarketing to promote other events and products.

3. Remarketing lists for search ads

Use this option to remarket to website visitors who go back on Google to research events like yours. You can also target people who just want to read any reviews or media coverage of your event.

4. Video remarketing

Have you created an event highlight reel or promo video on YouTube? Then you can also retarget people who’ve watched or engaged with your videos when they’re browsing YouTube.

5. Customer list remarketing

You’re also able to create Custom Audiences with Google. Use these to remarket to people whose details you upload from your event mailing list.

Target acquired

Phew, that was a lot of information to take in! But once you’ve set up your Google remarketing, you’ll be near-unstoppable.

People who have visited your event website will soon start seeing ads for your event everywhere they go. And that means more ticket sales.

Got first-hand experience with Google remarketing? Leave your comments below!