Google Ads Remarketing: strategies for activating existing customers

Return existing customers with personalized offers, cross-sell and loyalty programs. Build a repeat purchase lifecycle with data from CRM, Customer Match and automated audiences.

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Difference: Remarketing vs. Retargeting

Remarketing

Communication to known contacts/customers (e.g. customer lists) for repeat purchases, upsell and loyalty – e.g. through Customer Match, email, etc.

On this page, we focus on remarketing to existing customers through Customer Match, primary data and audiences by lifecycle.

Retargeting

Target anonymous visitors based on their behavior on the site/app (viewed pages, products, abandoned cart, started form, etc.) through pixels/GA4 audiences.

  • Display, Discovery and YouTube video
  • RLSA (Remarketing Lists for Search Ads) for searching
  • Dynamic retargeting for catalogs
View more about Retargeting

Note: In the Google ecosystem, the term “remarketing” often encompasses both. Here we deliberately differentiate by data source: anonymous traffic (retargeting) vs. known contacts (remarketing).

Value props

Repeat revenue (LTV)

Strategies to increase Lifetime Value with relevant offers at the right moment.

Data from CRM and Customer Match

Segment customers by purchase history, margins, RFM and churn probability.

Automation and measurement

Offline conversions, business margins and target ROAS/POAS for effective bidding.

Basic remarketing strategies for existing customers

  1. 1

    Upsell & Cross-sell

    • • Dynamic ads with premium versions/bundles to the last purchase.
    • • Cross-sell bundles by compatibility (accessories, consumables).
    • • Priority products with high margin and stock.
  2. 2

    Replenishment / Repeat

    • • Timing by average replenishment cycle (30/60/90 days).
    • • Coupons for repeat orders and subscription offers.
    • • Exclusive discounts for customers with ≥2 purchases.
  3. 3

    Win-back campaigns

    • • Customer Match lists: 90–540 days without purchase.
    • • Incentives (gift/free delivery) with frequency limits.
    • • Creatives with new collections/improved services.
  4. 4

    VIP & Loyalty

    • • Segments by LTV and RFM („Champions“, „Loyal“).
    • • Early access to campaigns and personalized offers.
    • • POAS/ROAS goals by margin/category.
  5. 5

    Category and brand preferences

    • • Audiences from past purchases by brand/category.
    • • Dynamic retargeting for complementary models.
    • • Exclusion of already purchased products.
  6. 6

    Omni-channel and offline

    • • Import of offline conversions (stores/call center).
    • • Business data: stock, margins, regional prices.
    • • Seasonal adjustments and budget scenarios.

Methodology and technology

Data and audiences

  • Customer Match: email/phone from CRM (GDPR-compliant).
  • Primary data: purchase history, margins, categories.
  • RFM segmentation and churn probability.
  • Exclusions: current subscribers/active orders.

Bidding and attribution

  • Smart Bidding: tROAS, tCPA, POAS by margin.
  • Import of value from CRM (dynamic conversion value).
  • Data-driven attribution and A/B experiments.
  • Frequency, capping and incrementality (geo-split, PSA).

Creatives and messages

  • Dynamic creatives for Performance Max/Display/YouTube.
  • Personalized offers: upsell, bundles, „buy again“.
  • Test of offers: discount, bonuses, delivery.
  • Compliance with Google Ads policies and GDPR.

Measurement and KPI

  • Repeat revenue, LTV/CLV, average number of orders/customer.
  • Incremental sales and margin after advertising spend.
  • Share of remarketing revenue/total revenue.
  • Frequency, reach, segment spend and saturation.

Process

  1. 1

    Evaluation and plan

    Analysis of CRM/GA4 data, categories and margins. We define target segments and KPIs.

  2. 2

    Technical integration

    Customer Match, offline conversions, business data, integrations with feeds.

  3. 3

    Start and optimization

    Building campaigns, test of messages/offers, automation of bidding.

  4. 4

    Reporting and scaling

    Monthly reports, experiments and expansion to additional segments.

Remarketing packages

Starter

For stores with a limited customer base.

  • 1–2 remarketing audiences (repeat/win-back)
  • Performance Max + Display
  • Basic Customer Match (CSV)
  • Monthly reports

Growth

Optimal for stable eCommerce operations.

  • RFM segments + category preferences
  • Customer Match + offline conversions
  • Dynamic feeds and A/B tests
  • Target ROAS/POAS

Scale

For large catalogs/regions.

  • Full lifecycle + churn predictions
  • Business data: margins, stock, regions
  • Multi-channel win-back (YouTube, Search, Display)
  • Incrementality and geo-split experiments