RLSA (Remarketing Lists for Search Ads) is a powerful tool within Google Ads that allows advertisers to target individuals who have already interacted with their brand, and are more likely to convert than other visitors.
With RLSA’s sophisticated capabilities, brands can tailor messaging and adjust budget allocations to increase effectiveness of Google Ads management while reducing costs overall.
Through careful analysis of user behavior data as well as creative experimentation across different remarketing lists and combinations, businesses stand to gain valuable insights into customer trends and performance metrics related to the audience they want to reach online without having to run through all-new advertising efforts each time.
In this guide, we discuss best practices when setting up your first or optimizing existing RLSA campaigns in order to maximize ROI from search engine marketing efforts.
Understanding user behavior within the context of RLSA is essential for effective targeting and ad campaigns. Analyzing user intent helps marketers to better target their audiences with relevant products or services.
Additionally, utilizing customer data enables businesses to create more segmented lists tailored toward distinct audience segments which may be particularly interested in a company’s offerings. This leads to higher conversion rates as well as increased return on investment (ROI). Utilizing these methods ensures that advertisers reach potential customers at just the right moment when they are ready to make a purchase decision.
Utilizing customer data for better targeting is an important part of understanding user behavior when it comes to RLSA.
By utilizing customer segmentation and demographic information, such as age range, location, interests etc., advertisers can serve more relevant ads tailored specifically to each set of customers or prospects they’re looking to target with their campaigns.
Customer segments also allow marketers the ability to design specific messaging around particular audiences that make them feel valued and spoken directly to instead of relying on generic ad copy which may not drive positive results from targeted users/prospective customers.
Creating personalized ad copy for RLSA campaigns is an essential best practice in order to optimize performance. Personalized messaging should be tailored around the context of particular users’ past browsing experience and what will likely motivate them to take action.
One effective tactic during remarketing efforts can include highlighting unique selling propositions that make a product or service stand out from competitors, while also being relevant for returning visitors based on their origin story with the brand advertising through RLSA placement opportunities.
Highlighting unique selling propositions (USPs) for a remarketing audience is one of the most important tactics in any RLSA campaign. Utilizing customer data and segmentation allows marketers to customize messages that are highly relevant to their audiences, presenting tailored USPs and creating powerful ad copy accordingly.
Such personalized messaging has proved successful time and again when engaging reconverted visitors who have already interacted with a brand or product before; making them more likely to click through on an advertisement rather than be turned away by generic ads they do not identify with.
Bid modifiers allow advertisers to increase or decrease the maximum bid for certain audiences in their campaign according to different criteria, unlike regular campaigns where everyone gets generic bidding amounts regardless of segments.
Implementing these targeted adjustments helps tailor each remarketing list differently depending on its relative performance compared with other lists in terms of clicks, impressions, and conversions as well as more contextual factors such as cost per acquisition (CPA) goals across devices.
When it comes to allocating the budget efficiently for RLSA campaigns, the key is to understand your customer journey and target audiences. Have a tailored approach that takes into account who you are targeting with each list and what type of remarketing they need at specific points in their buying cycle.
Set up different ad groups with modifiers so you can see how much more or less competitively bid ads perform as compared to standard non-RLSA targeted ones. Allocate budgets accordingly depending on which areas have higher value customers than others – aim for better results by optimizing ROI while also maintaining high-quality traffic from searching users through intelligent bidding strategies such as leveraging Bid Modifiers during Keyword & Ad Scheduling variables based on performance metrics like conversion rate and cost per acquisition™ (CPA).
Creating dedicated landing pages for the remarketing audience is a crucial step in customizing an RLSA campaign. These pages should be tailored specifically to address issues and challenges unique to this demographic, as well as provide solutions that will meet their needs. They must also include relevant content such as product reviews or specifications on offerings from your business.
Optimization of these landings through A/B testing can play a critical role into making sure you are providing visitors with the most effective experience possible and paving way towards better ROI across campaigns!
Customizing landing pages involves creating dedicated webpages for remarketing audiences and optimizing the page experience accordingly. This includes ensuring that content is relevant to the visitor based on their behavior data, such as recent searches or product views.
It also requires designing a user-friendly UI/UX layout with short loading times, easy navigation pathways, simplified checkout processes etc., making it much easier for visitors to take desired action in a concise timeframe.
Dynamic remarketing is an advanced RLSA technique used to create highly personalized ads for website visitors. This involves leveraging product feed from the website and creating dynamic ad templates that are displayed with engaging visuals based on items recently viewed by users.
It can be further optimized using rules or segmentation, such as excluding discounted products in order to increase relevance and ROI of campaigns. Dynamic remarketing helps deliver better results compared to standard search campaign tactics due to its personalization capabilities thus offering a unique customer experience through triggered targeted messaging
Sequential remarketing is a powerful technique used to help marketers better target their existing customers and encourage them down the sales funnel. In this approach, ads are presented in specific sequences based on prior user behavior or personal characteristics such as age, gender, location etc., providing contextually relevant messages at each step of the customer journey.
Sequential ad journeys should be constructed with careful consideration given to messaging flow and timing between display advertisements. Optimizing these two elements will ensure that potential buyers receive timely targeted communication that resonates clearly with their needs thus encouraging greater engagement from prospects resulting in increased conversions rates for businesses.
Cross-device and cross-channel remarketing enable marketers to target customers both online, as well as in physical stores. This form of RLSA requires businesses to properly integrate with other digital advertising platforms such as streaming channels or social media networks while leveraging customer data points like device IDs, cookies from various touchpoints, and IP addresses to identify users accurately across multiple devices.
A successful strategy should incorporate tailored user experiences along all stages of the buyer’s journey regardless if it is performed on web browsers, app interfaces or even brick & mortar shops. To maximize the conversion rate for these advanced strategies experimentation can help segment audiences based on engagement levels allowing more personalized messaging which results into higher conversation lift rates compared to traditional forms of marketing.
In conclusion, RLSA is a powerful tool for Google Ads campaigns and an effective way to optimize ad spend. As users move between devices or platforms and interact with different brands across the web, understanding their behaviors becomes essential in order to target them more effectively when they are most likely to engage or convert. Adopting targeted bidding strategies such as bid modifiers based on remarketing lists performance results can significantly impact overall campaign efficiency and ROI.
Other best practices involve creating dynamic ad templates timely messaging sequencing for specific user actions so that marketers could deliver personalized experiences on every interaction whilst adjusting bids according to customer intent which will help maximize impressions within important audiences faster than ever before.
Testing various approaches continuously should be part of any marketer’s routine work – from analyzing KPIs systematically to determining what works better fine-tuning targeting parameters all the way up cross-channel integration — there’s always enough room for growth creativity optimization learning never ends!
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Launching an online course is easy once you’ve created your content. Filling your virtual classroom with motivated, paying learners is a little more challenging. Advertising strategies aren’t intuitive no matter how user-friendly a platform might be, and trying to guess at how to market your courses online can feel like you’re shouting into the void. But with a little knowledge and some expert PPC ad strategies, you can get your courses in front of people who are hungry to learn what you teach.
With precise targeting, a professional strategy, budget control, and regular tracking, a PPC ad campaign can transform your course into a thriving program. The key is knowing how to structure your ad campaigns for both clicks and hot leads that convert.
Unlike search engine optimization (SEO), which can take months to gain even a little traction, PPC provides you with immediate visibility right where your target users are hanging out. SEO is important but it’s a long-term game that should be executed alongside PPC ads for the best results. While you’re waiting, PPC generates immediate clicks and drives traffic to your website on the spot.
The best part is that when done right, PPC ads offer a high ROI compared to many other advertising methods. According to the data, businesses earn an average of $2 for every $1 they spend on Google Ads, making PPC a powerful resource for course providers. Here’s everything you need to know about mastering PPC to generate hot leads for your online courses.
1. Understand the learner’s journey
If you want your PPC ads to generate leads ready to buy and not just curious clicks, you need to align your ad strategy with how learners make decisions. Signing up for an online course is not an impulse purchase. It’s a journey that usually starts with curiosity and then moves to research and comparison. When successful, that journey ends with enrollment.
A one-size-fits-all ad won’t work because a student who is just browsing isn’t ready for the same pitch as someone about to hand over their credit card. Understanding the different parts of the funnel, and tailoring your ad campaigns to match each stage, is what will make your course successful. A typical buyer’s journey for learners involves the following stages:
At this stage, your potential students are still exploring broad ideas related to the courses you’re offering. They may not know exactly which course or platform is right for them, but they’re actively looking for options. You’ll need to use a certain type of keyword phrase to capture their attention.
Searches like “learn coding online,” “how to get TEFL certified,” and “language courses for beginners” will work well at this stage. PPC ads in this phase shouldn’t hard-sell enrollment, but rather, focus on positioning your course as credible and informative.
Think free guides, introductory webinars, and blog posts that answer frequently asked questions about your topic. By nurturing your leads’ interests and providing value right off the bat, you’ll have an easier time becoming a trusted brand that people keep in mind as they move deeper into the journey.
During the consideration state prospects know what they want but they’re comparing their options. They’ve narrowed down their choices and are considering factors like price, flexibility, depth, instructor quality, platform, and accreditation. Ideal search terms in this phase are related to specific things that your prospects value or want to achieve like “affordable Python bootcamp,” “online MBA with scholarships,” or “best UX design course with certification.”
Your PPC ads should also highlight unique selling points for your course like “self-paced learning,” “industry-recognized certificate,” or “job placement success.” It’s at this stage where comparison charts, testimonials, and detailed course previews are highly effective. The goal is to show your prospects why your program beats the competition.
At this point, hesitation is minimal. Prospects are ready to sign up but might need one last push. This is where urgency, social proof, and simplicity make all the difference. Ads should feature strong calls to action like “Enroll Today,” limited-time incentives like “Save 20% - Ends Sunday.” This is the perfect time to showcase real student success stories. Landing pages for ads in the decision stage should remove all friction. Avoid long forms and distracting links. Just provide a clear and simple path to enrollment.
Keep in mind that most of your ideal market will encounter your brand multiple times along their journey across different devices and platforms, like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Mapping your PPC ad campaigns to these three stages ensures you’re showing up with the right message at the right time. When done correctly, focusing on all three stages with separate messages will turn casual searchers into qualified leads ready to buy your course.
The backbone of every PPC campaign is your keyword selection. You can write the most convincing ad copy in the world, but if you’re bidding on the wrong phrases you’ll either waste your budget or attract people who have no intention of enrolling.
Your goal isn’t just to drive traffic to your site. You need to drive qualified traffic – people who are serious about learning what you teach and are ready to invest in themselves. This requires targeting a mix of high-intent keywords, longtail phrases, and negative keywords.
Broad keywords like “data science” and “coding” cast a net that’s too wide. You’ll get clicks but most will be from people who are just curious or looking for free resources. To reach people who are committed, you need to target high-intent keywords that show purchase intent. Phrases like “enroll in our data science course” and “online JavaScript certification with ongoing support” will attract users who are actively seeking instruction.
You’ll pay more for high-intent keywords but they deliver more value and higher conversion rates, and that will increase your ROI when you choose the right ones.
Longtail keywords are used to target a smaller pool of people and that’s a good thing. Since these keywords are more focused, the traffic they generate is more valuable. Instead of competing for saturated, general terms like “learn graphic design online,” you target specific phrases like “best graphic design program for working professionals with evening classes.” The people searching with this level of specificity already know what they want, which means they’re more likely to convert.
If you skip targeting longtail keywords you’re leaving money on the table. Data shows that 70% of all online searches involve longtail phrases – it’s just how people naturally search when they know what they want.
Your negative keyword list is how you’ll preserve your budget and prevent wasting money on irrelevant clicks. Without a list of words you don’t want your ads to show up for, you’ll end up paying for clicks that never convert.
Build a negative keyword list of words that indicate someone is looking for something free or irrelevant to your course. For example, words like “free,” “PDF,” “torrent,” and “Reddit” are usually used in searches when someone is looking for shortcuts and freebies. Adding these and similar words to your negative keyword list will filter out tire-kickers and boost ROI by preserving your ad budget for relevant prospects.
Once you have the right keywords that generate impressions, your ad copy has to do the work to get clicks. Your ads need to grab people right away to prevent them from scrolling and possibly clicking on another course provider’s ad. For e-learning, your ads need to inspire people. Instead of talking about your course you want to highlight what your course will do for the learner. This is accomplished with benefit-driven messaging, emotional triggers, and strong calls-to-action (CTAs).
· Benefit-driven messaging. Most course providers list features like “40 hours of video content” and “downloadable PDFs,” but these details aren’t going to capture attention at first glance. In fact, telling learners they’re going to need to sit through 40 hours of content right off the bat might be a deterrent.
Instead, your ads should highlight tangible outcomes like “land high-paying clients with our program,” or “start a new career as a web developer in just 12 weeks.” Benefits speak directly to a person’s goals and aspirations, which is far more compelling than a list of specs.
· Emotional triggers. Emotional triggers are the heart of every marketing strategy, including PPC ads. People make emotional buying decisions and buy courses because they’re chasing a dream, avoiding a fear, or seeking transformation.
Great ad copy taps into these emotions and creates a sense of urgency. For instance, “Don’t miss the enrollment deadline” plays into the fear of missing out, while “Join 10,000 successful graduates” leverages social proof. The right emotional triggers will give people a good reason to act now rather than bookmarking your page and forgetting about it.
· Clear CTAs. Irresistible ad copy includes a direct, compelling call-to-action that tells the prospect what to do next. Generic instructions don’t cut it. “Learn more,” “Click here,” and similar phrases don’t communicate urgency or value. Choose CTAs that direct prospects to sign up for your course. For example, “Start your free trial” and “Reserve your seat today” work well.
In a crowded marketplace where hundreds of course creators are competing for the same attention, clarity and emotion will generate better results. Lead with benefits and tap into people’s emotions and your ad copy will generate serious leads.
Generating clicks from your ads is only the first half of the equation. Once a prospect clicks your landing page needs to convert them to a paying customer or your ad spend goes to waste. Your landing page is like the final pitch where prospective students choose whether to enroll in your course or move on. If your landing pages create any confusion, friction, or distrust, your prospects will lean toward other course creators. On the other hand, an optimized landing page can become a conversion generating machine.
Your landing pages should be simple and clean without too much information. The page content should be specifically designed to direct people to sign up for your course. You want to eliminate navigation menus and sidebars to prevent people from clicking away from the page and getting distracted. Each landing page should have one end goal, either to get sign-ups/purchases or apply for acceptance if required. Too many options will create cognitive overload and reduce the chance of any action.
It’s crucial to include trust elements on your landing pages. When people are thinking about investing their time and money in an online course, they’re naturally going to be skeptical. This is where trust signals can help. Testimonials, instructor bios, refund guarantees, and case studies will help build your course credibility. The goal here is to reassure people that your program is legitimate and worth their investment.
Clicks are important but they’re somewhat of a vanity metric when measured on their own. The only time clicks matter is when you’re looking at your conversion rate. If you generate 100 clicks and get 40 people to enroll that’s much better than generating 1,000 clicks and only getting one person to enroll in your course.
The metrics that matter most are your conversion rate, your cost per lead (CPL), and lifetime customer value (LTV). For instance, you’ll want to track completed signups, demo requests, and enrollments rather than overall clicks.
Cost per lead is a simple measurement that can tell you how efficient your campaign is. For instance, if you’re paying $50 per lead but your average enrollment fee is $500, your margins are good. If your CPL is too close to your revenue then your course might be priced too low or you need to adjust your targeted keywords.
For e-learning, many students invest in more than one course or renew their subscription, which increases their lifetime value to your business. Tracking LTV will help you determine how much you can afford to spend acquiring each new student. For example, if your LTV average is $1,500, it makes sense to spend $200 to acquire each lead. This long-term view helps you maintain profitability and allows you to outbid your competitors who aren’t willing to spend much.
PPC ads require fine-tuning and you can’t just “set it and forget it.” What works today might underperform tomorrow or not perform at all on other platforms. Even small changes can make a huge difference in conversions and that’s why it’s important to test variations. For example, Dell is just one example of a company that saw a 300% increase in conversions from A/B testing.
By running experiments to test different elements you can identify what resonates most with your target audience and optimize your ads based on those results. The most important elements to test are your headlines, CTAs, and images.
· Testing headlines. Your ad headline is usually the first thing a prospect sees. Testing different headlines can help identify which promises resonate most. For example, “Land your dream job” might appeal to people looking for a new career, while “Get certified in 12 weeks” might hook people in a hurry. If you get more conversions from the former, your main audience is likely people looking for a new career, and you can tailor your ads to that group.
· Testing CTAs. A strong CTA can generate more clicks, but what works will depend on your audience. For example, “Get started today” might work for some courses while “Reserve your spot” works better for others. Avoid vague CTAs like “Learn more” that don’t instruct people to take action.
· Testing visuals. Images can put people off or draw them closer. Visuals are processed faster than text and are perceived in a split-second. A single image can make or break an ad. For instance, sometimes a photo of an instructor works well, but other times it’s better to use abstract graphics.
Split testing isn’t optional when you’re running PPC ads. It’s the only way to know which elements make your ads more effective.
At the end of the day, PPC is a great way to build a pipeline of motivated students who want to enroll in your courses. By aligning your campaign with the learner’s journey and optimizing your ads and landing pages for conversions, you can turn your PPC campaign into a reliable growth engine. As the e-learning market becomes more competitive, ads that hit hard are a must.
If you’re ready to stop wasting ad spend and start filling your online classrooms with qualified leads, it’s time to bring in PPC experts. At PPC.co, we specialize in turning clicks into enrollments through high-converting campaigns that deliver qualified leads for online course creators . Contact our team today and let’s build campaigns that fill your classroom.
Pay-per-click (PPC) remains one of the fastest paths to pipeline, but the economics vary widely by industry and are shifting as AI reshapes the SERP. CPCs are up versus prior years, conversion rates have improved in many categories, and lead quality is increasingly a function of how well advertisers feed first-party data into bidding models.
The table below summarizes 2025 search-PPC benchmarks by sector—CPC, conversion rate (CVR), and cost per lead (CPL)—so you can compare what “good” looks like in your niche and calibrate ROI assumptions.
Use these numbers as directional guardrails, then layer in your own close rates and LTV to get to the only metric that matters: profitable growth.
In short, AI is changing the way PPC campaign management is occurring, and it's happening FAST.
ROI ≈ (Close-Rate × Avg Customer LTV ÷ CPL) − 1
Example (legal): if close-rate 12% and LTV $6,000 on CPL $132 → ROI ≈ (0.12×6000 / 132) −1 ≈ 4.45x (345% net). Improve any one input (faster intake bumps close-rate; better routing lowers CPL) and ROI jumps. Benchmarks for CPL/CVR above provide solid starting points. LocaliQ
PPC will keep paying when two things are true:
(1) you can convert and qualify leads quickly, and
(2) your bidding models are trained on the outcomes that actually make you money.
As AI compresses differences in targeting, the edge shifts to first-party data, creative velocity, and value-based bidding.
Treat the benchmarks above as starting points, then rebuild your ROI math from the ground up: ROI ≈ (Close Rate × LTV ÷ CPL).
Contact us today for your customized PPC audit to see how we can improve your search engine marketing ad spend.
