Introduction
Audience Insights in Google Ads help advertisers understand more about the people interacting with their campaigns—what their demographics are, what they’re interested in, how they behave online, and how likely they are to convert. These insights are critical for making data-driven decisions around targeting, messaging, bid adjustments, and budgeting.
Using Audience Insights effectively can improve campaign performance, lower acquisition costs, and boost return on ad spend (ROAS). For a business like MakeMyTrip, which serves a variety of traveler profiles (students, families, business travelers, solo tourists), audience insights help tailor offerings and communication based on user behavior and intent.
What Are Audience Insights?
Audience Insights are analytics and data available within Google Ads and Google Analytics that reveal:
– Who your audience is (age, gender, location, device)
– What they’re interested in (affinities, in-market categories, life events)
– How they interact with your ads and website (engagement, conversions)
– Which segments convert better or are more cost-efficient
These insights come from aggregated Google data across billions of searches, video views, browsing behavior, and ad interactions.
Where to Find Audience Insights in Google Ads
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Go to your Google Ads dashboard
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Click on Tools & Settings > Shared Library > Audience Manager
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Select the Audience Insights tab
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Choose your Customer List, Website Visitors, or App Users as the base audience
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Google will then show insights about similar users and potential segments to target
You can also use Audience Segmentation Reports under Reports > Predefined reports > Audience to analyze performance by demographic groups and segments.
Types of Insights You Can Use
1. Demographics
– Age, gender, parental status, household income
– Identify which groups have the highest CTR or conversion rate
Example: MakeMyTrip may notice that users aged 25–34 convert best for international packages, while users 45+ click more on domestic hotel ads but convert less frequently.
2. Affinity Audiences
– Broad interest categories like “Travel Buffs,” “Luxury Shoppers,” “Outdoor Enthusiasts”
– Useful for upper-funnel campaigns focused on awareness
Example: If a large portion of MakeMyTrip visitors belong to the “Beach Travel Enthusiasts” affinity group, they can run display campaigns for beach destinations like Goa or Maldives.
3. In-Market Audiences
– Users actively researching or intending to buy specific products or services
– High purchase intent, perfect for middle- and bottom-funnel targeting
Example: MakeMyTrip finds a strong in-market audience for “Vacation Packages” and “International Flights,” so they allocate more budget to Performance Max campaigns targeting these users.
4. Life Events
– Audiences going through major life changes (e.g., graduation, marriage, new job)
– These users often plan travel soon after life events
Example: MakeMyTrip targets users recently engaged with honeymoon packages or flight + hotel deals in romantic destinations.
5. Device and Location Behavior
– Analyze performance by mobile vs desktop
– See which regions drive more conversions
Example: MakeMyTrip sees most bookings happen on mobile devices from tier-1 cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore. They then increase mobile bids and create geo-targeted ads.
How to Apply Audience Insights
1. Create Custom Audiences
Use the insights to build Custom Segments based on:
– Interests (e.g., people searching for “cheap Europe trips”)
– URLs visited (competitor sites or travel blogs)
– Apps used (other travel or booking apps)
2. Refine Targeting in Campaigns
– Adjust your campaign targeting based on top-performing audience groups
– Exclude underperforming segments to save budget
– Add high-value audiences as “Observation” in Search and Shopping campaigns, then analyze performance
3. Bid Adjustments
– Increase bids for audiences that convert better (e.g., increase bid for users 25–34 if they show 3X ROI)
– Lower bids for devices or age groups that show poor return
– Use smart bidding but monitor audience-level data for refinements
4. Tailor Ad Messaging
– Use different ad copy based on audience behavior
– Highlight luxury features for high-income segments
– Show discount-oriented messages to value-conscious users
Example: For “Budget Travelers,” MakeMyTrip may highlight “lowest-price guaranteed” messaging, while for “Luxury Shoppers,” the ads focus on premium resorts and exclusive experiences.
5. Inform Creative Strategy
– Use insights to decide what images or videos to show in Display and Video campaigns
– Target interest-based creatives (beach, mountains, cityscapes) to matching audiences
– Match landing page content with what your top audiences care about
6. Build Remarketing Lists
– Segment past users based on interaction level (visited hotel pages, added to cart, searched flights)
– Create funnel-specific remarketing lists
– Use Dynamic Remarketing for users who saw specific products or packages
7. Combine with Google Analytics
– Use GA4 audience insights to find engaged users, drop-off points, and behavior flows
– Sync GA4 audiences into Google Ads for sharper targeting
– Identify which audiences come back after multiple visits and build campaigns to speed up their journey
8. Use Insights to Test and Expand
– Identify new segments to test: If you’ve been targeting families, try testing “solo travelers” or “students”
– Test new channels (e.g., Discovery or Gmail) with insights on where your audience spends time
– Expand into new markets or devices based on top-performing audience regions
Conclusion
Audience Insights are a powerful tool in Google Ads that allow you to understand who your users are, how they behave, and what drives their actions. For a platform like MakeMyTrip, where travel decisions involve multiple touchpoints and audience types, leveraging audience insights helps improve targeting accuracy, personalize ad messages, and increase campaign efficiency. By analyzing and applying this data smartly, advertisers can build high-performing strategies that connect with the right user at the right time with the right message.
