Similar audiences are being deprecated in Google Ads in 2023.What's next?

On November 2022, Google announced that Similar Audiences will be ‘transitioned into more durable solutions’. Google says that the change is to help advertiser's as a result of ongoing requirements for user privacy.

For example, when a user completes a purchase, a cookie from the advertiser will inform a third-party that a purchase has taken place, along with some personal information about the individual making the purchase. As third-party cookies are deprecating due to privacy concerns, similar audiences also need to get deprecated.

Similar Audiences

This similar audiences depreciation is worked out as the below timeline.,

Phase 1 — November 1st, 2022:

• Google announces similar audiences feature will be ending soon

Phase 2 — May 1st, 2023:

• Similar Audiences won’t be generated anymore.
• You can no longer add similar audiences to your new campaigns.
• Existing campaigns with similar audiences will use it until August 1st, 2023.

Phase 3 — August 1st, 2023:

• Similar audiences will be completely removed from all campaigns.
• You can still access historical data for similar audiences from existing campaigns.
• Display, Discovery and YouTube (Video Action Campaigns) with similar audiences will be automatically opted into optimised targeting.
• Video campaigns with Awareness/Consideration goals will be automatically opted into audience expansion.

What is similar audiences?

Similar audiences are Google’s version of lookalike audiences. They work by finding people who exhibit similar online behavior to those in your remarketing lists (such as website visitors, customer lists, video viewers, etc.) and can be used across all campaign types.

What’s replacing similar audiences?

Similar audiences segments is getting replaced by Optimized Targeting (for video, display discovery and performance campaigns) and Audience Expansion (for brand campaigns).

Optimized Targeting

For Discovery, Display and Video action campaigns on Google Ads and Display & Video 360, optimized targeting will help businesses find new and relevant audiences that are likely to convert without relying on third-party cookies.It also shows the advertisers who use optimized targeting on Display and Video 360 can see, on average of 55% improvement while using first-party audiences.

Audience Expansion

This will expand upon your existing audience. For Awareness and Reach video or Consideration video campaigns, audience expansion makes it easier for businesses to reach more people likely to convert.

On August 1st, 2023, Similar Audiences will be officially dead. The best way to prepare is to get familiar with optimized targeting and audience expansion.