Remarketing / Retargeting
Remarketing (or retargeting) is a digital advertising technique that shows ads to people who have previously visited your website or interacted with your brand but did not convert. It keeps your brand top-of-mind and brings lost traffic back to complete a desired action.
§ 1 Definition
Remarketing and retargeting are often used interchangeably, though some draw a distinction: retargeting typically uses pixel-based cookies to target past website visitors with display ads, while remarketing includes email-based campaigns targeting people who opened emails or engaged with content. In practice, both terms refer to showing relevant ads to people who have already demonstrated interest in your product or service. For B2B companies, remarketing is critical because the buying cycle is long and complex. Most first-time visitors are not ready to buy, but consistent remarketing keeps your brand present while they research competitors. Combined with list-based targeting and account-based marketing, it creates a powerful mechanism for converting warm leads.
§ 2 How Remarketing Works
A small piece of JavaScript (a pixel) is placed on your website. When a visitor arrives, the pixel drops a cookie in their browser. Later, when that person visits other sites that participate in ad networks (like Google Display Network or Meta Audience Network), your remarketing ads can appear. You can segment audiences based on behavior: pages visited, time spent, products viewed, or actions taken. This segmentation lets you serve different ads to different audiences based on their engagement level.
§ 3 Types of Remarketing Campaigns
Standard remarketing shows display ads to past visitors as they browse other sites. Remarketing lists for search ads (RLSA) adjusts your search bids for people who have previously visited your site. Dynamic remarketing shows ads featuring the specific products or services a visitor viewed. Email remarketing targets people who opened or clicked previous email campaigns. Social media remarketing targets your website visitors with ads on platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook. For B2B, RLSA and LinkedIn remarketing are often the highest-performing formats.
§ 4 B2B Remarketing Best Practices
Segment audiences by funnel stage. Do not show the same ad to someone who spent 30 seconds browsing your blog and someone who downloaded a pricing sheet. Create frequency caps to avoid ad fatigue. Use longer cookie durations (30 to 90 days) for B2B to account for longer buying cycles. Pair remarketing with exclusion lists so converted customers do not keep seeing ads. Use LinkedIn Matched Audiences for account-level remarketing against target companies.
§ 5 Privacy Considerations and the Cookie Phase-Out
Remarketing relies on third-party cookies, which are being phased out by major browsers. Google's Privacy Sandbox, first-party data strategies, and contextual targeting are replacing traditional cookie-based retargeting. B2B marketers should invest in collecting first-party data (email addresses, account IDs) for list-based remarketing. Server-side tracking and conversion APIs help maintain remarketing capabilities as cookie deprecation progresses.
§ 6 Note
§ 7 Common questions
- Q. What is the difference between remarketing and retargeting?
- A. In practice, the terms are used interchangeably. Some marketers use retargeting for pixel-based display ads and remarketing for email-based campaigns targeting prior engagers. For most B2B contexts, the distinction does not matter.
- Q. How long should a remarketing cookie duration be for B2B?
- A. 30 to 90 days is typical for B2B, reflecting the longer buying cycle. B2C remarketing durations are usually shorter (7 to 30 days). The right duration depends on your sales cycle length.
- Q. Does remarketing work without cookies?
- A. Yes, through first-party data strategies. Email-based remarketing (using hashed email lists for ad platforms), server-side conversion APIs, and privacy-safe audience matching via platforms like LinkedIn are all effective alternatives.
- Remarketing shows ads to people who have already engaged with your brand.
- Segment audiences by behavior to serve relevant messages at each funnel stage.
- B2B remarketing requires longer windows (30-90 days) than B2C.
- RLSA and LinkedIn Matched Audiences are high-performing B2B remarketing channels.
- Prepare for cookie deprecation by investing in first-party data and server-side tracking.
Atomic Glue builds remarketing strategies for B2B tech companies that convert warm traffic without creeping people out. We design audience segments, set up proper tracking, and create ad creative that moves prospects through the funnel. Check our Analytics & Tracking services or get in touch.
Get in touchRemarketing (or retargeting) is a digital advertising technique that shows ads to people who have previously visited your website or interacted with your brand but did not convert. It keeps your brand top-of-mind and brings lost traffic back to complete a desired action.
Category: Marketing
Author: Atomic Glue Editorial Team
## Definition
Remarketing and retargeting are often used interchangeably, though some draw a distinction: retargeting typically uses pixel-based cookies to target past website visitors with display ads, while remarketing includes email-based campaigns targeting people who opened emails or engaged with content. In practice, both terms refer to showing relevant ads to people who have already demonstrated interest in your product or service. For B2B companies, remarketing is critical because the buying cycle is long and complex. Most first-time visitors are not ready to buy, but consistent remarketing keeps your brand present while they research competitors. Combined with list-based targeting and account-based marketing, it creates a powerful mechanism for converting warm leads.
## How Remarketing Works
A small piece of JavaScript (a pixel) is placed on your website. When a visitor arrives, the pixel drops a cookie in their browser. Later, when that person visits other sites that participate in ad networks (like Google Display Network or Meta Audience Network), your remarketing ads can appear. You can segment audiences based on behavior: pages visited, time spent, products viewed, or actions taken. This segmentation lets you serve different ads to different audiences based on their engagement level.
## Types of Remarketing Campaigns
**Standard remarketing** shows display ads to past visitors as they browse other sites. **Remarketing lists for search ads (RLSA)** adjusts your search bids for people who have previously visited your site. **Dynamic remarketing** shows ads featuring the specific products or services a visitor viewed. **Email remarketing** targets people who opened or clicked previous email campaigns. **Social media remarketing** targets your website visitors with ads on platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook. For B2B, RLSA and LinkedIn remarketing are often the highest-performing formats.
## B2B Remarketing Best Practices
Segment audiences by funnel stage. Do not show the same ad to someone who spent 30 seconds browsing your blog and someone who downloaded a pricing sheet. Create frequency caps to avoid ad fatigue. Use longer cookie durations (30 to 90 days) for B2B to account for longer buying cycles. Pair remarketing with exclusion lists so converted customers do not keep seeing ads. Use LinkedIn Matched Audiences for account-level remarketing against target companies.
## Privacy Considerations and the Cookie Phase-Out
Remarketing relies on third-party cookies, which are being phased out by major browsers. Google's Privacy Sandbox, first-party data strategies, and contextual targeting are replacing traditional cookie-based retargeting. B2B marketers should invest in collecting first-party data (email addresses, account IDs) for list-based remarketing. Server-side tracking and conversion APIs help maintain remarketing capabilities as cookie deprecation progresses.
## Note
Over-remarketing annoys users and damages brand perception. Set frequency caps (3 to 5 impressions per user per day is a common starting point) and exclude recent converters. The goal is helpful reminders, not creepy persistence.
## Common questions
Q: What is the difference between remarketing and retargeting?
A: In practice, the terms are used interchangeably. Some marketers use retargeting for pixel-based display ads and remarketing for email-based campaigns targeting prior engagers. For most B2B contexts, the distinction does not matter.
Q: How long should a remarketing cookie duration be for B2B?
A: 30 to 90 days is typical for B2B, reflecting the longer buying cycle. B2C remarketing durations are usually shorter (7 to 30 days). The right duration depends on your sales cycle length.
Q: Does remarketing work without cookies?
A: Yes, through first-party data strategies. Email-based remarketing (using hashed email lists for ad platforms), server-side conversion APIs, and privacy-safe audience matching via platforms like LinkedIn are all effective alternatives.
## Key takeaways
- Remarketing shows ads to people who have already engaged with your brand.
- Segment audiences by behavior to serve relevant messages at each funnel stage.
- B2B remarketing requires longer windows (30-90 days) than B2C.
- RLSA and LinkedIn Matched Audiences are high-performing B2B remarketing channels.
- Prepare for cookie deprecation by investing in first-party data and server-side tracking.
## Related entries
- [PPC (Google Ads)](atomicglue.co/glossary/ppc-google-ads)
- [CPC / CPM / CPA](atomicglue.co/glossary/cpc-cpm-cpa)
- [Digital Marketing](atomicglue.co/glossary/digital-marketing)
- [Demand Generation](atomicglue.co/glossary/demand-generation)
- [Account-Based Marketing (ABM)](atomicglue.co/glossary/account-based-marketing)
Last updated July 2026. Permalink: atomicglue.co/glossary/remarketing-retargeting