If you’re not running remarketing campaigns on Google Ads, you are not turning website visitors into customers.
But not all remarketing campaigns are equal.
I recently ran three different types, YouTube Remarketing, Display Remarketing, and Demand Gen Remarketing, using the same audience strategy. Each campaign had the same goal: convert warm traffic back into customers.
The results?
Very different outcomes across the board.
Let’s break down what I learned.
YouTube Remarketing: Low Cost, High Influence
- ROAS: 2.72
- Cost per Conversion: £22.17
- Conversions: 75.47
- View-through Conversions: 32
- Frequency: 7.8
YouTube remarketing gave us the highest volume of conversions, decent ROAS, and a solid number of view-through conversions.
At £22 per conversion, it was an efficient performer for both awareness and action. With a frequency of 7.8 impressions per user, it stayed top-of-mind without overwhelming the user.
Best for: Boosting return visitors at scale while keeping costs low.
Display Remarketing: High Reach, Low Return
- ROAS: 0.68
- Cost per Conversion: £105.63
- Conversions: 15
- View-through Conversions: 128
- Frequency: 10.1
Display had the widest reach and the highest impression frequency at 10.1. But its ROAS and conversion volume were underwhelming.
While it generated the highest number of view-through conversions (128), direct conversions were expensive and few.
Best for: Brand visibility, but only if you care about impression volume over direct ROI.
Demand Gen Remarketing: Smallest Audience, Strongest ROAS
- ROAS: 5.33
- Cost per Conversion: £9.26
- Conversions: 71.33
- View-through Conversions: 23
- Frequency: 1.9
Demand Gen had the highest ROAS and lowest cost per conversion.
With just 1.9 frequency per user, it was extremely efficient at converting warm leads into revenue, without spamming them with ads.
Best for: Direct, profitable conversions from already engaged users.
Each remarketing campaign has its own strength:
- YouTube: Great for awareness + conversions
- Display: Strong visual presence, but weak on direct ROI
- Demand Gen:Strong visual presence, wider reach, great ROAS
Choose the tool that matches your goal. And don’t forget to test, compare, and adapt.
📊 Here’s the real data from campaigns:
