You're currently setting up your campaign and you think you know the audience you want to target, but then you find these two targeting options: In Market and Affinity; which one should you use? If you’ve ever found yourself puzzled by these two powerful targeting options in Google Ads, you’re not alone. Many marketers grapple with understanding the nuances between In-Market and Affinity audiences, often leading to missed opportunities or misdirected efforts. In this article, we will explain (in simple terms), the difference between In Market vs Affinity Audiences in Google Ads; so your ads may reach the right people at the right time!
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Difference between In Market vs Affinity Audiences in Google Ads:
In-Market Audiences:
Target users who are ACTIVELY interested to buy a product or service based on their browser history and search history.
For example, if you select people who are in market for apparel and accessories, it means that within the last 14 days, people were actively looking to buy a t-shirt, accessory, or even more granular with eyewear, formalwear, activewear, etc. Actively looking means either these people were searching for specific products, or they visited an e-commerce website or a website relevant to these products; hence they ended up in this in market audience.
Hence, in-market audience is more intent-driven, as the user has shown clear intention to purchase by actively searching for certain product or services.
Affinity Audiences:
Target users who have a broad interest in certain topics (for example Banking, Pets, Traveling etc.), based on their browser history. These users are not actively looking to buy.
For example, if you select people who has affinity for banking and finance. A user may not be actively looking to open a bank account, but have an interest in investing or online banking. Within the last 14 days, this user visited some website that spoke about banking and finance and watched YouTube videos related to it; they have interest in topic without taking an action that indicate an intention to purchase.
Hence, affinity audience is a little bit more up the funnel; i.e. an awareness audience (audience that is on top of the AIDA intent pyramid)
💡 TIP:
Regardless of what campaign you're intending to make, you should try to target both in-market and affinity audiences in different ad groups (Display or Video) or different asset groups (Performance Max) to:
1) understand what kind of audience perform better for your business
2) reach people at different stages of the customer journey
Frequently Asked Questions on In Market vs Affinity Audiences in Google Ads
When should I use In-Market Audiences?
Use In-Market Audiences when:
You want to target users ready to make a purchase
Your goal is to drive immediate conversions or sales
You're promoting products or services with a shorter sales cycle
You need to improve your return on ad spend (ROAS)
You're looking to capitalize on seasonal trends or time-sensitive offers
You're running campaigns with a lower-funnel focus (e.g., PPC for specific products)
When should I use Affinity Audiences?
Use Affinity Audiences when:
You aim to build brand awareness
Your goal is to engage users based on their lifestyle, hobbies, or long-term interests
Your product or service has a longer consideration period
You're launching a new product and want to reach relevant interest groups
You're running top-of-funnel campaigns (e.g., video or display ads for brand building)
How does Google determine if someone belongs to an In-Market Audience?
To determine In-Market Audience, Google analyzes user behavior, such as:
Recent search queries (+ frequency and recency)
Website visits in related categories
Clicks on ads for similar products or services
Time spent on pages with relevant content
Interactions with product listings or shopping ads
App usage patterns indicating purchase intent
Location data suggesting in-store visits
Engagement with video content related to products or services
How does Google determine if someone belongs to an Affinity Audience?
Affinity Audiences are based on:
Browsing habits and online behavior
Types of websites frequently visited
Types of content frequently consumed
App usage patterns
YouTube viewing patterns
Engagement with specific topics across various websites
Social media activity and interactions
Subscription services and online memberships
Demographic information
Device usage patterns
Search history trends over extended periods
Online purchase history and shopping preferences
Interaction with ads related to specific interests
Can I create custom In-Market or Affinity Audiences?
While you can't create custom In-Market Audiences, Google Ads allows you to create Custom Affinity Audiences based on interests, URLs, places, or apps that are relevant to your business.
Are there any industries where one audience type consistently outperforms the other?
While performance can vary greatly depending on specific campaign goals and strategies, certain industries tend to see better results with one audience type over the other. In-Market Audiences often outperform in industries with shorter sales cycles or immediate purchase intent, such as e-commerce. These audiences work well for products or services that fulfill immediate needs or desires. On the other hand, Affinity Audiences typically show stronger performance in industries that require longer consideration periods or focus on lifestyle choices, such as luxury goods or higher education.
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