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Google Ads Audience Types Explained: In-Market, Affinity, Custom & More

The audiences you can layer onto campaigns — from cold interest to your own customer list — and which one matches each goal.

VDBy Vikas Disale·7 min read
Quick answer

Google Ads audiences target people by who they are, not just what they search. The main types are affinity (long-term interests, for awareness), in-market (actively shopping now, for sales and leads), custom segments (defined by keywords or URLs), detailed demographics (life stages), and your data (remarketing and customer lists). In-market is usually the best starting point for small businesses chasing conversions.

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2026 noteGoogle retired Similar audiences in 2023. You no longer build look-alike lists manually — reach now expands automatically through optimized targeting and Smart Bidding, using your existing audiences as signals.
1What audiences are

Targeting by who people are, not just what they type

Keywords target what someone searches. Audiences target who they are — their interests, what they’re shopping for, or their past relationship with you. Layering audiences onto a campaign lets you reach the right people and bid more on the ones most likely to convert.

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Which audience type fits your goal?

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2The main audience types

From cold interest to your own customers

TypeWho it reachesBest for
AffinityPeople with a long-term interest or lifestyleTop-of-funnel awareness
In-marketPeople actively researching a purchase nowDriving sales & leads
Custom segmentsAudiences you define by keywords, URLs or appsPrecise, niche intent
Detailed demographicsLife stages: parents, students, homeownersLayering on top of others
Your dataSite visitors and your customer listsRemarketing & loyalty
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In-market is the workhorseFor most small businesses chasing sales or leads, in-market audiences are the highest-value starting point — they’re people already shopping in your category.
3How to use them well

Layer, observe, then act

Audiences are most powerful as signals — especially with Smart Bidding, where they help the AI find more of your best customers. Add them in observation mode first to see how each performs before you let them narrow or steer a campaign, and combine types (e.g. in-market + a life stage) for sharper reach.

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Don’t over-narrowStacking several audiences in targeting mode can shrink reach to almost nothing. Start broad, observe, then tighten based on real data.
Key takeaways
  1. Audiences target who people are; keywords target what they search.
  2. Affinity is for awareness; in-market is for active shoppers and conversions.
  3. Custom segments let you define audiences by keywords, URLs or apps.
  4. In-market audiences are usually the best starting point for sales and leads.
  5. Use audiences as signals, layer them, and observe before you narrow reach.
?Frequently asked

Audience type FAQs

What are the audience types in Google Ads?
The main types are affinity, in-market, custom segments, detailed demographics, and your data audiences such as remarketing and customer lists.
What is the difference between affinity and in-market audiences?
Affinity audiences reach people with a long-term interest or lifestyle, good for awareness, while in-market audiences reach people actively researching a purchase right now, good for sales and leads.
What are custom segments?
Audiences you define yourself using keywords, website URLs or apps your ideal customers use, letting you reach precise, niche intent.
Which audience type is best for getting sales?
In-market audiences are usually the strongest for sales and leads, because they reach people already shopping in your category.
Are similar audiences still available?
No. Google retired similar audiences in 2023. Reach now expands automatically through optimized targeting and Smart Bidding using your existing audiences as signals.
Can I combine audience types?
Yes. Layering types, such as an in-market audience plus a life stage, sharpens your reach, but avoid stacking too many in targeting mode or you’ll shrink reach too far.
→Keep learning

Related lessons

Customer Match
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Observation vs Targeting
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Vikas Disale
Author · Digital Marketing

Vikas Disale is a digital marketer with around a decade of hands-on experience running and teaching paid search. He builds practical, example-led Google Ads training for business owners and marketers. More about Vikas →

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