What is the Difference Between Custom Affinity and Custom Intent

The main difference between Custom Affinity and Custom Intent is that Custom Affinity Audience is much broader than Custom Intent Audience.

Custom Affinity and Custom Intent are two similar features in Google Ads that allow marketers to target users according to their interests and recent online activity. Both these targeting features are very similar as they allow targeting specific users based on keywords and URLs they have used. However, as discussed in this article, there is a slight difference between Custom Affinity and Custom Intent Audiences.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is Custom Affinity  
     – Definition, Features, Benefits 
2. What is Custom Intent
     – Definition, Features, Benefits 
3. Difference Between Custom Affinity and Custom Intent
     – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Audience, Custom Affinity, Custom Intent

Difference Between Custom Affinity and Custom Intent - Comparison Summary

What is Custom Affinity

Custom Affinity is a feature in Google Ads that allows advertisers to create their own affinity audience based on users’ interests. Before looking at Custom Affinity Audience, it’s important to know about Affinity Audience.

Affinity Audience is a method of targeting users based on their interests. Google typically determines users’ interests based on their recent browsing activities and search history. It then groups these users under pre-defined categories for Affinity Audiences, such as Foodies, Do-It-Yourselfer s, Fashionistas, Health & Fitness Buffs, and Social Media Enthusiasts. However, Google doesn’t have detailed audience targets, and these categories may be too general or too broad for your needs. This is where Custom Affinity Audience comes into play.

Custom Affinity vs Custom Intent

Custom Affinity Audiences helps you create your own Affinity Audience, an audience specifically customized by interest keywords, URLs, and apps that you enter. If you are someone interested in branding, more controlled targeting, advertising customized real-time content to specific users, or expanding market reach while increasing conversions, then you can use this targeting method.

Benefits of Custom Affinity Audience

  1. First of all, Custom Affinity Audience gives you a chance to tailor your audience to specifically match your needs. This also helps you to narrow your reach down to users who are really interested in your products or services.
  2. It allows you to use the URLs of your competitors, which helps to target their customers with your ads.

What is Custom Intent

Custom Intent Audience is a feature in Google Ads that allows marketers to target people who are actively searching for specific topics, products, and solutions on the web. People generally use specific keywords, go to specific pages, view videos, and then decide whether to buy something. In essence, these are the consumers who are actively shopping for a range of goods and services. Using Custom Intent Audience targeting, advertisers can target their ads to these consumers on display or YouTube video ad campaigns. In the Custom Intent Audience feature, advertisers can use keywords and URLs of target consumers who have already shown interest in specific products and services on Display and Video campaigns. Moreover, this targeting feature can increase brand awareness and is ideal for target users who are mid-to low-funnel.

Compare Custom Affinity and Custom Intent - What's the difference?

Benefits of Custom Intent Audience

  1. Custom Intent Audience allows you to target the customers of your competitors.
  2. Moreover, it gives marketers the chance to target only specific users, saving the money spent on advertising.

Difference Between Custom Affinity and Custom Intent

Definition

Custom Affinity Audience is a feature in Google Ads that allows advertisers to create their own affinity audience based on users’ interests, while Custom Intent Audience is a feature in Google Ads that allows marketers to target people who are actively searching for specific topics, products, and solutions on the web.

Audience

Custom Affinity Audience is much broader than Custom Intent Audience, which has a more specific audience.

Marketing Funnel

While Custom Affinity Audience is better suited to top-of-the-funnel activities, Custom Intent Audience is better suited for mid- to low-level activities in the marketing funnel.

Conclusion

In brief, Custom Affinity and Custom Intent are two similar features in Google Ads that allow marketers to target users according to their interests and recent online activity. The main difference between Custom Affinity and Custom Intent is the broadness of their audience. Custom Affinity has a larger and wider audience, while Custom Intent has a more specific audience.

Reference:

1. Sloman, Emma. “A Guide to Custom Affinity Audiences for the Google Display Network.” Metric Theory.
2. Remigio, Brent. “How to Create and Test Custom Intent Audiences in Google Ads.” Portent.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Online Advertising” (CC0) via Pxhere

About the Author: Hasa

Hasanthi is a seasoned content writer and editor with over 8 years of experience. Armed with a BA degree in English and a knack for digital marketing, she explores her passions for literature, history, culture, and food through her engaging and informative writing.

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