Smart Lists for Remarketing in Google Analytics

What are Smart Lists?

Smart Lists are a simple form of remarketing used by Google to reach those customers who have visited your website but did not convert. More specifically, Smart Lists are generated using advanced algorithms based on data collected in Google Analytics. These Google Analytics remarketing lists account for different variables including but not limited to visit duration, page depth, location, device, referrer, and browser, to help predict which users are most likely to convert during a later visit. One of the main benefits of Smart Lists is that the lists are dynamic; the remarketing target audience is consistently changing and manipulated over time to focus on specific users.

Requirements to Generate a Google Smart List

• website must generate at least 500 monthly ecommerce transactions
• website must generate 10,000 daily pageviews

The Smart List is based on specific factors that influence users you convert so if you cannot meet these two requirements your Smart List will be generated based on conversion data from similar businesses that have allowed the sharing of their anonymized conversion data with Google Analytics. If you must rely on data from other businesses do not fret because you can still receive great data from smaller clients who have been around longer.

Reasons Not To Use A Google Smart List

For some companies, implementing Google Smart Lists may not be a wise choice. Here are a few things to consider before attempting to implement a Smart List:

1. Your current remarketing lists are performing well- until you start to see a severe downturn in conversion there isn't much point to completely changing your strategy; if it ain't broke, don't fix it!
2. You know your audience- if you have done your research and understand who is visiting your website and when to confront them with a certain offer then stick to what you're doing
3. You don't get much traffic or conversions- if you aren't generating 1 of the 2 metrics involved in a Smart List chances are you won't have enough data to see great results
4. Finally, one important thing to remember is that you can't choose which people see which particular ads, therefore you must create more generic or creative ad copy to appeal to any viewer

Who Should Use A Google Smart List?

You should use a Google Smart List if you are:

1. New to Remarketing- if you have never created a remarketing campaign in Google AdWords
2. Looking for a quick win- if you haven't had much success with remarketing before and want to impress someone
3. Not sure how to use remarketing in Google Analytics- if you don't have the time or patience to work through the technical interface of Google Analytics
4. Not sure who your target audience is- understanding who to target is absolutely crucial for any campaign. If you have even the slightest doubts you should consider a Smart List
5. Love to test new software and programs- if you or your company loves experimenting with new platforms then you must give smart lists a try, the results could blow you out of the water

Google Smart Lists remove the need to constantly re-evaluate and adapt your marketing strategy. Since the dynamic lists are constantly updating based on new data they have the potential to drastically increase conversion with minimal input. If you are new to Google Analytics remarketing then you should definitely look into creating and implementing Google Smart Lists.