How to segment audiences by behavior?

Introduction
Audience segmentation by behavior is the process of dividing users into groups based on how they interact with your website, app, ads, or content. Instead of relying only on demographics like age or gender, behavioral segmentation focuses on what users do—what they search for, how they browse, what they click, and how often they visit. In Google Ads, segmenting by behavior helps you deliver more personalized ads, increase engagement, and improve conversions.

For a platform like MakeMyTrip, which serves travelers with a wide range of preferences, behaviors like “frequent trip planner,” “abandoned booking,” or “viewed international packages” can be powerful signals to create highly targeted campaigns.

Why Behavioral Segmentation Matters

– Helps you understand the user journey
– Enables personalized targeting and messaging
– Improves conversion rates and reduces ad spend waste
– Allows you to build stronger remarketing and lookalike audiences
– Supports full-funnel campaign structure (awareness → consideration → conversion)

Key Behavioral Segmentation Categories

1. Website Activity Behavior
   – Users who visited specific pages (e.g., “Thailand Packages” or “Visa Services”)
   – Users who started but didn’t complete a booking
   – Users who viewed hotel details but didn’t select dates
   – Users who bounced quickly (low engagement)

   Example:
   MakeMyTrip creates an audience list of users who visited pages related to Goa beach resorts in the last 7 days but didn’t book. These users are retargeted with Display Ads showing discounted Goa packages.

2. App Usage Behavior
   – Installed but not opened the app in 7 days
   – Opened the app 3+ times in a week
   – Added a trip to the wishlist
   – Booked a flight but didn’t book a hotel

   Example:
   Users who installed the MakeMyTrip app but haven’t used it in a week are shown a mobile-only discount to re-engage them.

3. Search and Click Behavior
   – Searched for specific keywords like “cheap Europe flights”
   – Clicked on ads related to family vacations
   – Engaged with specific ad extensions (e.g., clicked on “travel insurance”)

   Example:
   If users repeatedly search for “last-minute holiday deals,” they can be segmented and targeted with dynamic search ads showing time-sensitive offers.

4. Purchase/Conversion Behavior
   – Converted in the past (buyers, leads, subscribers)
   – Abandoned the cart at checkout
   – Purchased a product or service within a date range
   – Repeat customers vs first-time buyers

   Example:
   Users who previously booked an international flight but have not booked hotels are shown ads for hotel combos at the destination they flew to.

5. Engagement Behavior
   – Time spent on site (e.g., more than 3 minutes = high intent)
   – Number of pages viewed in one session
   – Watched 75% or more of a YouTube video ad
   – Scrolled 80% of a landing page

   Example:
   Users who spent more than 5 minutes reading about honeymoon destinations but didn’t click “Book Now” are shown personalized remarketing ads featuring best honeymoon deals.

6. Transaction Value Behavior
   – High spenders vs low spenders
   – Searched only for premium hotels or business class flights
   – Booked only low-budget trips or one-star hotels

   Example:
   High-spending users are segmented and targeted with luxury vacation campaigns, while price-conscious users see budget travel deals.

How to Create Behavioral Segments in Google Ads

1. Using Website Tags & Google Ads Audience Manager
   – Go to Tools & Settings > Shared Library > Audience Manager
   – Click Segments > Website Visitors
   – Create segments based on conditions like “visited URL includes /goa-packages” or “time on site > 3 minutes”
   – Name the segment clearly, e.g., “Goa package visitors – 7 days”

2. Using Google Analytics (GA4)
   – Open GA4 > Audiences > Create New Audience
   – Set behavioral rules (e.g., users who viewed hotel booking page but didn’t reach the payment page)
   – Publish this audience to Google Ads for targeting
   – Create segments based on session duration, scroll depth, conversion events, and engagement levels

3. Using App Engagement (Firebase)
   – For mobile apps, use Firebase to track in-app events (e.g., flight search started, hotel added to cart)
   – Sync Firebase audiences to Google Ads
   – Run App Engagement or Display campaigns for each behavioral group

4. Using YouTube and Video Engagement
   – Segment users who watched specific videos or channels
   – Retarget based on how much of the video was watched (25%, 50%, 75%, or complete)
   – Useful for travel inspiration videos or destination highlights

Campaign Use Cases for Behavioral Segmentation

Top of Funnel (TOFU):
– Users who visited the blog or travel guides section
– People who watched a destination teaser video
Campaign goal: Awareness

Middle of Funnel (MOFU):
– Users who viewed product pages but didn’t convert
– Visitors who compared prices or searched specific itineraries
Campaign goal: Engagement and consideration

Bottom of Funnel (BOFU):
– Cart abandoners or people who clicked “Book Now”
– Repeat visitors within last 3 days
Campaign goal: Conversion

Post-Purchase:
– Users who booked in the last 30 days
– Users who booked a flight but no hotel
Campaign goal: Cross-sell, upsell, loyalty

Tips to Effectively Use Behavior-Based Segmentation

– Always exclude recent converters from TOFU campaigns to avoid wasted spend
– Use RFM (Recency, Frequency, Monetary) principles to prioritize audiences
– Personalize ad copy based on previous behavior
– Create lookalike audiences based on high-performing behavioral segments
– Use “observation” mode in campaigns to measure segment value before bidding aggressively
– Test different creatives for each behavioral segment (e.g., urgency for cart abandoners vs inspiration for dreamers)

Conclusion
Behavioral audience segmentation in Google Ads allows advertisers to move beyond generic targeting and deliver personalized messages based on how users actually behave. For travel brands like MakeMyTrip, segmenting users by behavior—whether it’s browsing Goa beach resorts, searching for Europe flights, or abandoning a cart—means reaching the right person with the right message at the right time. This improves relevance, reduces wasted spend, and drives more profitable conversions throughout the funnel.