Use demographic targeting in an ad group or a campaign

With demographic targeting, you can reach customers who are likely to be within the demographic segments that you choose. You can show your ads to customers according to their demographics if your business caters to a specific set of customers within a particular segment.

This article walks you through how to focus your ads to target customers in certain demographic segments.

How demographic targeting affects who sees your ads

When you use demographic targeting, your ads are shown based on demographic information that Google estimates or gets from website publishers or Google profiles (for Google Ads), or that Microsoft may estimate or get from other sources (for Microsoft Advertising). If you limit your targeting to certain demographic segments, your ads may reach a more limited audience. Learn more about demographic targeting.

• Demographic segments supported by Google Ads: Gender, age group, parental status, or household income range.
• Demographic segments supported by Microsoft Advertising: Gender and age group.

Google Ads allows you to exclude demographic segments from targeting to help make your advertising more efficient.

In Microsoft Advertising, you cannot exclude a demographic entirely. However, you can set a bid adjustment of up to -90% to significantly reduce the likelihood of it being shown to someone outside your desired demographic. In cases where user demographics are unknown, no bid adjustment is applied.

Add a demographic segment to an ad group or a campaign

1. Sign in to your Search Ads 360 experience.
2. Navigate to a Microsoft Advertising client account or a Google Ads client account.
3. On the page menu, click Audiences.
4. In the “Demographics” module, click Edit demographics. To view the reporting level you want to see, select your existing campaign and ad group from the list.
5. On the “Edit demographics” page, select the checkbox next to the specific demographic segment you want to include in the ad group:
   • Gender
   • Age
   • Parental status (only available for Google Ads accounts)
     • Supported campaign types include Display, Video, and Gmail campaigns
   • Household income (only available for Google Ads accounts)
     • Household income targeting is only available in select countries.
6. Click Save demographics.

Include an audience segment in an ad group or a campaign

1. Sign in to your Search Ads 360 experience.
2. Navigate to a Microsoft Advertising client account or a Google Ads client account.
3. On the page menu, click Audiences.
4. In the “Audience segments” module, click Add audience segments.
5. Select Campaign or Ad group from the dropdown.
6. Search for or select your campaign or ad group from the list.
7. On the “Edit audience segments” page, select Targeting or Observation (recommended).
8. On the Browse tab, click Who they are (Detailed demographics) to expand the section.
9. Select the checkbox for each audience segment you wish to add. The segments you choose will appear in the column on the right.
   • Gender
     • Unknown gender
     • Male
     • Female
   • Age
     • Unknown age
     • From 18 to 24
     • From 25 to 34
     • From 35 to 44
     • From 45 to 54
     • From 55 to 64
     • 65 and over
   • Parental status (only available for Google Ads accounts)
     • Supported campaign types include Display, Video, and Gmail campaigns
   • Household income (only available for Google Ads accounts)
     • Household income targeting is only available in select countries.
10. Click Save.

Exclude an audience segment from an ad group or a campaign

1. Sign in to your Search Ads 360 experience.
2. Navigate to a Microsoft Advertising client account or a Google Ads client account.
3. On the page menu, click Audiences.
4. In the “Exclusions” module, click Add exclusions. To view the reporting level you want to see, select Campaign or Ad group from the dropdown.
5. Search for or select your campaign or ad group from the list.
6. On the Browse tab on the “Exclude audience segments” page, click Who they are (Detailed demographics) to expand the section.
7. Select the checkbox next to the audience segment that you want to exclude.
8. Click Save.

Set a bid for a specific demographic segment

You may get a higher return on investment (ROI) or increase your chances to show your ads to people who are more likely to buy your products by setting a specific bid for a demographic segment. Set a custom bid for a Display campaign or edit the bid adjustment for a Search campaign.

Related links

• View your demographic reports
• About demographic targeting