Someone visited your site or page and left without booking. Remarketing (also called retargeting) shows your name to those people again so you're the business they remember when they're ready to book.

1The news that changes this for small local businesses

For years, Google required at least 1,000 matched users before remarketing ads would run — too high a bar for most local businesses.

In December 2024, Google dropped that minimum to 100 users, applied across Search, Display, and YouTube.

A local business with around 150 monthly visitors can now run a proper Google remarketing campaign. Most advice you'll find online is based on the old 1,000-user rule and no longer applies.

2What remarketing actually is

You're nudging people who already know who you are — they don't need convincing, just a small reminder. Most people don't book on the first visit; they look, get distracted, and search again later. Without remarketing, you lose to whoever they find second.

3The tracking tag — and why cookies aren't going away

To show ads to past visitors, the platform needs to know who they were. It does that through a small piece of code on your site:

  • Google: called a tag
  • Meta (Facebook/Instagram): called a pixel

When someone visits your site, the tag records that visit. When you run a campaign, the platform shows ads to those same people. Installing the tag is free — you don't pay until you run ads. Get it live as soon as possible; the list only builds from the day it goes in.

You may have heard Google was going to restrict third-party cookies. That plan was cancelled. In April 2025, Google officially confirmed Chrome will keep supporting third-party cookies with no new restrictions. Standard remarketing tags keep working exactly as they always have.

Google tag: Sign into Google Ads → Tools and Settings → Audience Manager → tag section. Paste the snippet on every page or use Google Tag Manager. Check it's firing with the Google Tag Assistant browser extension.

Meta pixel: Facebook Business Manager → Events Manager → create a new pixel. Install via WordPress plugin or email the code to your site builder.

4The three ways to build a remarketing audience

1. Website visitors (via the tag)

Anyone who visits your site gets added to an audience automatically. A basic "all visitors" list is a solid start. Thanks to the new Google 100-user minimum, a local site with 150+ monthly visitors can now use this for Google remarketing.

  • Use a 30-to-90-day window — a 7-day window often won't hit the minimum in a small local market
  • Meta's minimum is still around 1,000 matched users before ads deliver reliably
  • Start with Google first, then add Meta once visitor numbers are higher

2. Uploading your customer list

Both Google and Meta let you upload existing customers — names, emails, phone numbers — and match them to ad accounts. The platform hashes the data before comparing it; raw details are never stored. People who've already used you are the cheapest to convert — upload what you have.

  • Google's version is called Customer Match
  • Requires 90+ days of account history and verified payment status
  • Google's Customer Match minimum is 1,000 active matched users — you need a reasonably sized list, but it's worth uploading what you have

3. Social media engagement (no website needed)

If your website traffic is still low, build a remarketing audience from Facebook or Instagram activity. Meta lets you create an audience from people who've watched your videos, interacted with your page, or engaged with a post.

A short clip showing a job in progress — before and after, or a quick explanation of what you do — can rack up views even on a small spend. Those viewers become a warm audience for a follow-up reminder ad.

5A note on Meta tracking in 2026

The Meta Pixel now captures only 40–50% of real conversions on its own — iOS privacy changes and ad blockers mean many events go unrecorded.

The fix is the Conversions API (CAPI): a second tracking method that runs from your web server, catching what the Pixel misses. As of April 2026, Meta added a one-click CAPI setup inside Events Manager — no developer needed. If you're running Meta ads seriously, switch it on. The Pixel alone is no longer enough.

6What a simple remarketing ad looks like

Skip the introduction — these people already know who you are. What works:

  • A photo from a recent job (or a short clip of the finished result)
  • Your star rating with review count
  • One line signalling you're local and respond — e.g. "the local trade who answers the phone"
  • One CTA: "Get a quote" or "Book now"

Look like a real local person, not a stock-photo franchise ad.

7Common mistakes to avoid

  • Installing the tag and doing nothing. The tag collects data — you still need a campaign running against it.
  • Using a 7-day window in a small local market. Short windows often won't hit the 100-user minimum. Start at 30 or 90 days.
  • Running the same ad as your cold campaigns. Warm audiences know what you do — skip the intro and remind them to act.
  • Showing the same ad for weeks. Set a frequency cap; a couple of weeks of follow-up is right, not a month.
  • Assuming Meta is the right starting point. Meta's ~1,000-user minimum is a higher bar — Google's 100-user minimum is the better first step.

Key takeaways

  • Google's minimum dropped to 100 users (December 2024). Remarketing is now genuinely accessible for small local businesses.
  • Third-party cookies are not going away. Google reversed its deprecation plan in April 2025 — standard tags still work.
  • Start with Google, then add Meta. Google's 100-user minimum is achievable for most local sites; Meta's ~1,000-user minimum is a higher bar.
  • Three ways to build your audience: website visitors via the tag, uploading your customer list, or social media engagement.
  • Use a 30-to-90-day window in a local market — short windows often won't fill above the minimum.
  • If you run Meta ads, add the Conversions API. The Pixel alone captures 40–50% of conversions; one-click CAPI setup in Events Manager closes the gap.

Common questions

Do I need a big audience for remarketing to be worth it?

For Google, no — 100 matched users is the minimum across Search, Display, and YouTube. A local site with ~150 monthly visitors can reach that. For Meta the bar is still ~1,000, so start with Google if your traffic is modest.

Can I run remarketing on a small budget?

Yes. Warmer audiences cost less per result than cold campaigns. A modest daily budget is enough in most local markets.

Is it intrusive to follow people with ads?

Only if ads repeat too often or run too long. Frequency caps and a two-week window keep it useful, not annoying.

What if I don't have a website?

Use the social engagement method. Post content on Facebook or Instagram and use Meta's engagement audiences to remarket to people who interacted with it.

How does remarketing connect to my other campaigns?

It works as a layer on top of traffic-driving campaigns — search brings people in, remarketing follows up with the ones who didn't convert.

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