How Do Affinity Audiences and Segments Work in Google Ads?

Last Updated on: 18th October 2024, 03:42 pm

Whether you’re after users actively searching for products or those who fit your ideal customer profile, there’s the perfect audience segment for every strategy. But without the right tools, tapping into them can leave you at the mercy of loose descriptions like “a busy mom in her 30s.” Not exactly insightful, is it? 

Today we’ll talk about affinity audiences, the antidote to the “cardboard personas” many marketers still rely on. You know, the ones that box people into dry categories like “female, 35-44, loves shopping.”

Let’s dive in!

What Are Affinity Audiences in Google Ads and How Do They Work?

Affinity audiences (now audience segments) go deeper, tapping into real-life behaviours, interests, and passions. As Google puts it, you can “reach users based on a holistic picture of their lifestyles, interests, and habits.”

You might remember them being called “affinity audiences.” In 2023, Google rebranded them to audience segments to reflect the granular nature of audience targeting.

Audience segments are built by analysing user behaviours – such as the URLs they visit, their interests, the apps they use, and even the places they frequently go. Google tracks these signals across its vast network of services and uses the data to group people into affinity audiences based on their long-term interests and habits.

Here’s what goes into the Google Ads affinity audiences data analysis:

• URLs: Google looks at the types of websites users visit regularly. A person frequently browsing fitness blogs or visiting sports news sites might be categorised as a “Health & Fitness Buff.”
• Interests: Google considers search history and content consumption to determine users’ interests over time. Someone who searches for luxury vacation spots might get categorised under “Luxury Travelers.”
• Apps: The types of apps a user downloads and engages with are another data point. For example, someone who frequently uses meal-planning apps might be placed in a “Home Cooking Enthusiast” audience.
• Places: Google even tracks physical locations, so someone who frequently visits gyms or attends live sports events might be categorised under “Gym Enthusiasts.”

While this method provides a broader, lifestyle-focused targeting approach, it’s different from custom intent audiences, for example, which are more about immediate purchase behaviours or actions. Affinity audiences focus on long-term behaviours and preferences, while custom intent is more about recent activity and shopping intent.

Who Should Use Affinity Audiences (And Who Shouldn’t)?

Is the affinity audience targeting suitable for every advertiser? Not quite.

Typically, businesses looking to build brand awareness by reaching people with sustained interests related to their products or services will do well with audience segments. If you’re focused on getting your brand in front of the right people early in their buying journey, this is a powerful tool.

The same goes for companies selling products or services that have broader appeal, but who still want to add a layer of relevance to their targeting. For example, a fitness apparel brand can use affinity audiences to target “Fitness Buffs” instead of just throwing their ads at all adults aged 18-45 with some interest in fitness.

As for those who may not find this feature too helpful, we have brands focused on immediate conversions. Audience segments are great for long-term nurturing, but if you’re looking for a quick sale, you’re better off using in-market or custom-intent audiences. 

In-market and custom intent audiences are focused on users actively researching or intending to purchase specific products or services – often within a short time frame. These audiences capture recent behaviour, like product searches or site visits, indicating immediate buying intent.

The Pros and Cons of Affinity Audiences in Google Ads

Before you rush to add affinity audiences to all your campaigns, let’s look at the pros and cons.

Pros of Google Ads Affinity Audiences

Since affinity audiences are based on broader, long-term behaviours rather than hyper-specific purchase intent, the competition for these users tends to be lower. This can lead to reduced cost-per-click (CPC) rates.

While on the topic of lower rates: by delivering more relevant ads to users who are genuinely interested in your niche, Google rewards you with a higher Quality Score, which improves your ad rank and lowers your costs.

By the way: affinity audiences are excellent for top-of-funnel marketing, allowing you to establish your brand with audiences who resonate with your message over time.

Cons of Google Ads Audience Segments

Affinity audiences are more about the ”big picture”. If you’re looking for precision, custom audiences are a better option. 

In 2024, with GA4’s improved tracking, custom audiences give you more control over who sees your ads, especially when you need to target people further down the funnel.

Types of Affinity Audiences in Google Ads

Google offers several pre-built affinity audience segments to cover a wide range of interests. Some of the most popular categories include:

• Lifestyle & hobbies, covering areas like travel enthusiasts, fashionistas, and home decor lovers.
• Tech & gadgets, including tech-savvy individuals who are always on top of the latest gadgets and apps.
• Sports & fitness, focusing on people who follow sports or live an active lifestyle.
• Shopping enthusiasts, targeting users who are constantly browsing retail sites or fashion blogs.
• Luxury travellers, engaging those who show an affinity for high-end travel destinations and experiences.

For example, suppose you’re marketing a new high-end fitness app. 

You could target people from the “Health & Fitness Buffs” audience – those who regularly consume fitness content. 

Then, you can layer in an in-market audience for “Sports & Fitness Equipment” to catch those actively looking to buy workout gear or fitness subscriptions.

This way, you’re combining broader interests with immediate purchase intent. Still, keep in mind that affinity audiences work their best in brand-building efforts.

How Do Google Affinity Audiences Work in Practice?

Let’s suppose you’re running ads for a luxury travel brand, and you want to reach people who are actively interested in high-end vacation spots. 

Here’s how Google Ads would categorise and target a potential customer – for example, a person who frequently browses travel blogs for exotic vacation ideas, searches for luxury hotels, and uses a travel planning app. 

Google would then analyse these behaviours and URLs and place them into a few relevant affinity audiences such as:

• Luxury Travelers  – Frequent International Travelers
• Luxury Travelers – Adventure Seekers
• Food & Dining – High-End Hotel Enthusiasts (for those searching for exclusive accommodations and experiences)

See how much more specific those are? And they’re so much better for your marketing, too! 

If you’re targeting high-end hotel enthusiasts, you can craft specific messaging that resonates with their desire for luxury and exclusivity. For example, with imagery of your product or service being enjoyed in upscale settings, whether it’s a spa experience or a private beach at an exclusive resort.

How to Find Affinity Audiences in the Google Ads Dashboard

Finding audience segments in Google’s updated dashboard is quite simple:

Click the “Tools” icon. 

Then, proceed to “Shared Library” and “Audience Manager.”

You’ll find your existing segments (and the ability to add new ones) in the “Your data segments” tab. If you go into the Audiences tab, you’ll be able to enter an audience creation wizard that will identify relevant affinity audiences for your campaigns. 

Pick the segments that best match your target audience’s behaviours and interests, and you’ll be good to go!

Best Practices for Affinity Audiences

Stack Your Audience Segments in Google Ads

Don’t limit yourself to just one audience segment. Combining affinity audiences with custom audiences or remarketing lists can provide even more granular targeting. For example: 

• Target “Luxury Travelers” who have visited your site in the last 30 days.
• Combine “Technophiles” with “Home Automation Enthusiasts” to push smart home devices.
• Layer “Fashionistas” with a remarketing list of people who abandoned carts for your high-end fashion products.

Test Different Combinations

Don’t be afraid to experiment! Try mixing different affinity audience combinations to see which brings in the best results. 

A/B test “Luxury Travelers” paired with “Adventure Seekers” vs. “Luxury Travelers” paired with “Spa & Wellness Enthusiasts” to see which segment responds better to your luxury vacation offers.

Keep an Eye on Your KPIs

Head to the “Audiences” tab for detailed insights into audience performance. Keep an eye on key metrics like CTR, CPA, and conversions. 

Also, look at audience overlap to avoid wasting ad spend on duplicate segments.

Get Ahead with Smarter Audience Targeting Strategies

By targeting users based on what truly matters to them, you can build stronger connections and lower your ad costs. After all, people are more than just numbers on a spreadsheet. If you want to make the most of your ad spend, you need to understand who they are, not just what they are.

That said, it’s even better to use this when you’ve clearly defined your ideal audience. It’ll save you from trial and error, although a little testing is always necessary. 

Need help implementing Google Ads affinity audiences to skip trial and error and head straight to profitable campaigns? My team and I are here to guide you! But if you’re looking for a refresher on how to supercharge your campaigns, grab a copy of my book, Achieve Rapid Google Ads Success in 7 Simple Steps!