How to set up the Google Ads remarketing tag
The Google Ads remarketing tag is what lets you advertise again to people who already visited, your cheapest, highest-intent audience. Setting it up is quick; the parts that trip people are audience building and consent.
Installing the tag
- In Google Ads, under Audience manager, set up your data source / remarketing tag (this is the Google Ads tag, often the same Google tag you already have).
- Deploy it site-wide, ideally through Google Tag Manager with the conversion linker alongside it.
- For ecommerce, send dynamic remarketing parameters (product IDs, value) so you can run dynamic ads.
Building audiences
In Audience manager, create segments like "all visitors", "viewed product, no purchase", or "past purchasers". You can also pull in GA4 audiences. Remember to exclude existing customers where it makes sense.
The consent rules that gate it
- The tag can only add users who consented to ads personalisation, so a decline means no entry, see remarketing without consent.
- Audiences need a minimum size before Google will serve to them.
- They build from setup forward, not retroactively, so install early.
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