Google launched Customer Match for Google Analytics audiences. This new feature will help you expand reach and improve your remarketing campaigns.
By integrating first-party customer data into the remarketing process, Google aims to improve the alignment of campaigns with user preferences as traditional tracking methods like third-party cookies become less reliable.
How it works. When a customer converts on your website, you might collect data like email addresses or phone numbers. This first-party data can be securely hashed and sent to Google, supplementing your Analytics audiences. The integration ensures more effective audience targeting, especially as third-party cookies become less reliable.
Security first: Google uses industry-standard encryption to protect your data, ensuring confidentiality and security.
Seamless setup: Customer Match data in Google Analytics automatically syncs with linked Google Ads accounts, streamlining the process and reducing manual work.
Key benefits.
Broader reach: Customer Match boosts your addressable audience in Google Ads, even when cookies are limited.
Efficiency: No need to manually create customer lists in Google Ads — just activate in Analytics, and you’re set.
Smart optimization: Campaigns using Smart Bidding and optimized targeting automatically leverage Customer Match lists for better performance.
Why we care. Customer Match could become a strategic way to future-proof your campaigns. Despite Google giving up on their plans to kill third party cookies, leveraging first-party data is still important to build strong customer relationships. By leveraging first-party data, on top of the customer strength benefits you also stand a chance to scale effectively and stay competitive in a privacy-first world.
What to watch.
Auto-Inclusion: By default, Smart Bidding includes all available Customer Match lists. To opt out:
Disable auto-inclusion through account settings.
Remove specific lists from campaigns if needed.
Scope: Available for YouTube and Video Action campaigns. Support for Search ads is on the horizon.
What to watch out for.
Manual bidding exclusion: Customer Match won’t apply if you’re using manual bidding strategies.
Real-time learning: Even if lists seem irrelevant, Google’s algorithms continuously optimize performance by identifying which lists drive results.
Activation steps. To activate Customer Match in Google Analytics:
Set up user-provided data collection in Analytics.
Link Analytics to Google Ads or other Google ad platforms.
Enable personalized advertising (note: no need for Google Signals to enable remarketing).
Analytics vs. Google Ads: What’s the difference?
In Google Ads: You upload customer data manually via a CSV or connect data sources.
In Analytics: Customer Match supplements existing audiences, offering a seamless integration with less manual effort.
Bottom line. First-party data continues to be vital for brands to run successful campaigns for customer growth. Customer Match in Google Analytics offers a powerful way to harness this data, optimize campaigns, and drive better outcomes.