Google Ads In-Market Segments: Your guide to High-Intent audiences

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Imagine being able to tap a button and instantly connect with people actively looking for what you offer.

That’s the power of in-market segments in Google Ads—a smart targeting option that puts your brand in front of high-intent users who are already researching products or services like yours.

With in-market segments, you can reach potential customers at the decision-making stage, increasing the chances they’ll choose you over your competitors.

In this guide, you’ll discover everything you need to know about in-market audiences, including:

What are in-market segments in Google Ads?
Which Google Ads campaign types support in-market targeting?
What to do if your niche doesn’t have an in-market segment
Limitations and things to watch out for
Who should be using in-market segments—and why

Let’s dive in and turn intent into conversions.

What Are In-Market Segments in Google Ads?

In-market segments are one of four key audience types you can target in Google Ads, alongside detailed demographics, life events, and affinity segments.

What sets in-market segments apart is purchase intent. These audiences aren’t just casually browsing—they’re actively researching or comparing products and services to make a purchase soon.

Google identifies users for these segments by analyzing a wide range of signals, including:

The websites they visit
The apps they use
Their search behavior
Even real-world activities, when location data is available

By connecting these data points, Google builds a picture of users who are “in the market” for specific offerings—whether that’s a car, a vacation, or a new piece of tech. This makes in-market segments a powerful tool for advertisers looking to reach people who are ready to buy.

Which Google Ads Campaign Types Support In-Market Segments?

In-market segments can be used across a variety of Google Ads campaign types—but how you use them depends on your goals. You can target, observe, or exclude these audiences. Here’s a quick breakdown:

Targeting

You can actively target in-market segments in:

Search
Shopping
Display
Demand Gen
Video

In Performance Max campaigns, in-market segments can be added as audience signals—not strict targeting, but a way to guide Google’s automation.

You can also combine in-market segments with others (like demographics or interests) to build custom audience segments, especially useful in Search and Display campaigns.

Observation

Want insights without restricting your reach? Use observation mode in:

Search
Shopping
Display

This lets you monitor how in-market audiences perform while still reaching a broad audience.

Exclusion

You can exclude specific in-market segments from:

Search
Display

This is helpful if you want to avoid irrelevant audiences. However, note that exclusions are no longer supported in Demand Gen and Video campaigns due to changes in the Audience Builder tool.

What If There’s No In-Market Segment for Your Category?

While Google offers over 1,000 in-market segments, they don’t cover every niche product or service. If you can’t find an exact match, here are three smart alternatives:

1. Use a Related (Adjacent) In-Market Segment

Find the closest match to your product or service. For example, if you sell stroller wagons and there’s no dedicated segment, you could target the “in-market for strollers” segment. Then, use ad copy and visuals to pre-qualify your audience, ensuring only users interested in stroller wagons click through.

2. Target a Different Google Audience Type

Think beyond in-market segments. Stroller wagons are typically used by parents of preschool-aged children. Instead of targeting just “in-market for strollers,” consider the detailed demographic segment “Parents of Preschoolers.” While these users may not be actively searching for stroller wagons, they still fit your ideal customer profile.

3. Create a Custom Audience Segment

If pre-built segments fall short, build your own. With custom segments, you can define your audience by:

Search terms (e.g., “best stroller wagons”)
Websites they visit (e.g., baby gear blogs or stroller wagon brands)
Apps they use

These custom audiences can be used in Display, Video, and Demand Gen campaigns or added as audience signals in Performance Max.

What Are the Limitations of In-Market Segments?

While in-market segments are highly effective for many campaigns, they’re not ideal for products or services with very short buying cycles.

Timing Matters

These segments rely on Google detecting a user’s behavior over time. For products with a longer consideration phase—like booking a hotel in Paris—this works well. Users tend to research months in advance, giving Google plenty of signals to identify and categorize them as “in-market.”

But for fast-decision purchases, like contact lenses, the window between research and purchase is often just 24–48 hours. By the time someone is added to an in-market segment, they may have already bought—making your ad too late.

What to Do Instead

If your product has a short decision cycle:

Target related or broader in-market segments earlier in the journey
Use custom segments based on relevant search terms or site visits
Combine in-market with remarketing to stay top-of-mind

In short, match your targeting strategy to your product’s buying behavior. In-market segments are great—but only if they align with your customer’s actual journey.

Who Should Use In-Market Segments?

In-market segments are ideal for advertisers looking to reach high-intent, ready-to-convert audiences. As one of Google’s most conversion-focused targeting options, they sit at the bottom of the funnel, making them a great choice if your goal is driving sales or leads.

If you’re new to audience targeting in Google Ads, in-market segments are a smart place to start—they offer a clear path to performance with minimal setup.

For more advanced advertisers, in-market segments can complement broader strategies. Once you’ve seen success here, consider branching out into:

Life events segments (e.g., people moving, getting married)
Custom segments (built from search terms, sites, or apps)

Just remember: audience intent is only half the equation. Make sure your ad creatives speak directly to that intent to maximize your results.

At Engage Coders, our expert PPC team specializes in driving results through data-backed strategies, including advanced audience segmentation like in-market targeting. Whether you’re just getting started or want to scale your existing campaigns, we can help you: