Custom Audiences in Google Ads is a targeting feature that allows advertisers to create their own audience segments based on specific user interests, behaviors, search activities, website visits, or app usage. It gives you control to reach people who are most likely to be interested in your product or service, even if they haven’t interacted with your brand yet.
Custom Audiences is divided into two main types:
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Custom Segments (formerly known as Custom Intent and Custom Affinity audiences): You define your target audience by entering keywords, website URLs, apps, or interest categories. Google then uses this data to create a group of users whose recent behavior matches your inputs.
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Customer Match: This uses your own first-party data (like email addresses or phone numbers) to target your existing customers. Since you asked specifically about Custom Audiences, we’ll focus more on Custom Segments.
How Custom Segments Work
When creating a Custom Segment, you can provide the following types of data:
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Keywords: Search terms your ideal customers are likely to use on Google.
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Websites: URLs of sites your audience may visit.
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Apps: Mobile apps your audience may have downloaded or used.
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Interests or Behaviors: Activities and preferences Google identifies based on user behavior.
Once you enter this information, Google Ads creates an audience of users who are currently showing interest or intent that matches these characteristics. You can use this audience in campaigns across YouTube, Gmail, the Google Display Network, and Discovery ads.
Benefits of Using Custom Audiences
You can reach new, highly relevant users who haven’t interacted with your brand yet but show similar behavior to your ideal customer. You get more control than predefined Google audiences, while still benefiting from Google’s machine learning. Custom Audiences are scalable and flexible across campaign types. They help in prospecting, brand awareness, lead generation, and even direct conversions.
Where You Can Use Custom Audiences
You can use them in:
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YouTube ads (for video campaigns)
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Google Display Network (for image and responsive ads)
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Gmail ads (to show promotions in the inbox)
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Discovery campaigns (on Google Discover, YouTube feed, Gmail feed)
Difference Between Custom Audiences and Other Audiences
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Custom Audiences let you define your audience using keywords, URLs, apps, and topics.
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Affinity Audiences are broad interest-based groups like “Sports Fans” or “Tech Enthusiasts”.
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In-Market Audiences target users actively researching or buying certain products.
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Remarketing lists target people who’ve already interacted with your brand.
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Customer Match uses your own customer data to reconnect with past users.
Detailed Example: Lazoro (Handcrafted Metal Wall Art Brand)
Business: Lazoro is an Indian brand that sells handcrafted metal wall art online via their website www.lazoro.in. Their goal is to increase sales from new customers who are decorating their homes or setting up new apartments.
Objective: Lazoro wants to run a Google Discovery and YouTube campaign targeting users interested in home décor, art pieces, and modern interior design, but who haven’t yet visited their website.
Custom Audience Setup:
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Keywords: metal wall art, decorative wall hangings, modern home décor, luxury interior decoration, unique wall art for living room, handmade metal art
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Websites: pepperfry.com, urbanladder.com, amazon.in/home-decor, ikea.com/in/en, artzolo.com
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Apps: Pinterest, Houzz, Amazon, Flipkart, Livspace
Google uses these inputs to create a Custom Segment of users who are either searching for these terms or browsing these websites and apps.
Ad Campaign:
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Campaign Type: Discovery
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Ad Format: Carousel ad showing 5 high-resolution images of Lazoro’s best-selling wall art with price tags and a bold CTA
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Headline: “Transform Your Walls with Handmade Metal Art”
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Description: “Exclusive designs, premium finishes, fast shipping across India. Add a touch of class to your living space.”
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CTA: Shop Now
Campaign Results (after 3 weeks):
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Impressions: 3.8 lakh
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Clicks: 24,000
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CTR: 6.3%
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Conversions: 1,550 purchases
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Cost per conversion: ₹112
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ROAS (Return on Ad Spend): 5.8x
Why It Worked:
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Audience selection was highly relevant to their niche
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Visually rich creatives matched the platform (Discovery feed is visual-heavy)
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Keywords and URLs used in the custom segment aligned with buyer intent
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New users were targeted before they searched for a brand like Lazoro
Best Practices for Using Custom Audiences
Use specific keywords that reflect real buyer intent. Include competitor websites or content platforms your audience might visit. Combine inputs like keywords, apps, and URLs to let Google’s machine learning build a more accurate audience. Avoid over-segmenting or creating an audience too narrow to scale. Refresh your custom segments every few months based on seasons, product launches, or changing user trends. Test different ad messages and creatives to find what resonates with your audience segment.
Conclusion
Custom Audiences in Google Ads help advertisers go beyond basic demographics or broad interest targeting. By giving you the tools to define your audience with real behavioral signals — like search terms, website visits, and app usage — they help you reach users at the right moment, with high relevance. Whether you’re launching a new product, scaling your business, or trying to reach fresh audiences who have never heard of you, Custom Audiences provide a smart, strategic way to drive results across multiple Google platforms.
