Is remarketing the same as display advertising?

No - display is where an ad appears (banner-style ads across a network of sites), while remarketing is who it is shown to (people who already visited your site). Most display campaigns use remarketing as one of several targeting layers.

Are Google Display campaigns going away?

The standalone campaign type is being phased out - Google began migrating Display campaigns into Demand Gen in June 2026, with the network itself continuing as one inventory channel inside that broader campaign type, not disappearing.

What are Microsoft Native Ads?

Microsoft's display-style ad format, called Audience Ads, shown natively across MSN, Outlook.com, and Microsoft Edge - styled to match the surrounding content instead of appearing as a separate banner.

Is remarketing worth the budget?

Usually yes - since most first-time visitors do not convert, remarketing re-engages people who already showed interest, typically at a lower cost per click than reaching a cold audience for the first time.

Should I run Google Display and Microsoft Native together?

Often yes - Google's network offers the broadest reach, while Microsoft's native placements tend to see stronger engagement at lower cost on their own high-traffic properties. Running both covers more of where a past visitor actually browses next.

Remarketing & display ads

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Remarketing and display ads across the Google Display Network and Microsoft's native placements - built to bring visitors back, not just show up.

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Two related things, often confused

What's the difference between remarketing and display ads?

Display is where the ad shows up. Remarketing is who it shows up to. Most accounts run both together.

Display ads are visual, banner-style ads shown across a network of websites and apps, rather than on a search results page - reaching people while they browse, not while they are actively searching.

Remarketing (Google now calls this "Your Data" in audience settings) is a targeting method, not a placement - it shows ads specifically to people who already visited your site, based on the exact pages they viewed and how far they got.

Combined, the two do what search ads alone cannot: search ads catch someone in the moment they are ready to act; remarketing display ads bring back the roughly 97% of visitors who leave without converting the first time.

Quick definition

Remarketing display ads, in one sentence

Banner-style ads shown across a network of sites and apps, specifically targeted at people who already visited your website but did not convert.

Google's display network

Google Display Ads: reach across millions of sites and apps

The Google Display Network places your ads across a huge network of partner websites, apps, Gmail, and YouTube - automatically resized and formatted for each placement.

Worth knowing right now

Standalone Display campaigns are being folded into Demand Gen

Starting June 2026, Google began migrating standalone Display campaigns into Demand Gen, with the rollout continuing into 2027 - the Display Network itself isn't going away, but it's becoming one inventory channel inside a broader campaign type rather than its own campaign. We review each account individually before migrating rather than accepting the default timeline.

Responsive Display Ads

You supply headlines, images, and logos; Google automatically assembles and resizes them to fit whatever ad space is available across the network.

Audience segments

Affinity, In-Market, Custom Segments, Detailed Demographics, Life Events, and Your Data (remarketing) - layered together to narrow reach without losing scale.

Awareness plus remarketing

Affinity and Custom Segments work well for top-of-funnel awareness; Your Data (remarketing) segments work best for bringing back past visitors specifically.

Microsoft's answer to display

Microsoft Native Ads: blending into the feed, not interrupting it

Microsoft's version of display advertising runs as Audience Ads - native-style placements across MSN, Outlook.com, and Microsoft Edge that match the look of the surrounding content instead of standing apart from it.

Placement

Where they show up

MSN's homepage and content feeds, the inbox and content panel in Outlook.com, and Microsoft Edge's new tab page - high-traffic, Microsoft-owned surfaces rather than third-party partner sites.

Format

Why "native" matters

Native ads are styled to match the surrounding content - an article feed, an inbox list - so they read as part of the experience rather than a banner interrupting it, which tends to support stronger engagement than traditional display creative.

Remarketing lists

Same core concept as Google's "Your Data" segments - retarget past site visitors, layered by page viewed and time on site.

In-market audiences

Microsoft's own in-market segments identify users actively researching a category, similar in concept to Google's In-Market segments.

LinkedIn Profile data

For B2B remarketing specifically, company, industry, and job function data can layer onto Audience Ads - a targeting option Google's display network doesn't have.

The case for remarketing

Why bringing back past visitors matters more than reaching new ones

~97%

Of first-time visitors leave without converting

2nd

Or 3rd visit is often where conversion happens

↓ CPC

Remarketing typically costs less than cold prospecting

Running both together

Google Display and Microsoft Native aren't an either/or

Each reaches people in a different environment - running both means a visitor who leaves your site keeps seeing your brand no matter where they browse next.

Google Display

Broadest reach, largest network

Millions of partner sites and apps, plus Gmail and YouTube placements - the widest net for both awareness and remarketing volume.

Google Ads management

Microsoft Native

Native format, less competition

Smaller reach, but native-style placements on high-traffic Microsoft properties often see stronger engagement at a lower cost per click.

Microsoft Ads management

Common questions

Stuck on Something About Online Marketing? We Have Answers.

Is remarketing the same as display advertising?: No - display is where an ad appears (banner-style ads across a network of sites), while remarketing is who it is shown to (people who already visited your site). Most display campaigns use remarketing as one of several targeting layers.
Are Google Display campaigns going away?: The standalone campaign type is being phased out - Google began migrating Display campaigns into Demand Gen in June 2026, with the network itself continuing as one inventory channel inside that broader campaign type, not disappearing.
What are Microsoft Native Ads?: Microsoft's display-style ad format, called Audience Ads, shown natively across MSN, Outlook.com, and Microsoft Edge - styled to match the surrounding content instead of appearing as a separate banner.
Is remarketing worth the budget?: Usually yes - since most first-time visitors do not convert, remarketing re-engages people who already showed interest, typically at a lower cost per click than reaching a cold audience for the first time.
Should I run Google Display and Microsoft Native together?: Often yes - Google's network offers the broadest reach, while Microsoft's native placements tend to see stronger engagement at lower cost on their own high-traffic properties. Running both covers more of where a past visitor actually browses next.

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