Targeting

Definition

Targeting or target marketing involves narrowly focusing marketing activities to attract a specific, marketing-profiled potential customer determined by geographic location (geo-targeting), days of the week or time of day (dayparting), gender and age (demographic targeting), etc.

In online marketing, for example, you can use ads and keywords to target customers using search engines. Newer ad techniques and software focus on behavioral targeting, based on web activity and behaviors that are predictive for potential customers who might be more receptive to particular ads. [1][2]

Behavioral targeting is the practice of targeting and serving ads to groups of people who exhibit similarities not only in their location, gender or age, but also in how they act and react in their online environment. [1]  Behaviors tracked and targeted include website topic areas they frequently visit or subscribe to; subjects or content or shopping categories for which they have registered, profiled themselves or requested automatic updates and information, etc. [2]

A cohort is a group of individuals with shared characteristics—like behavior, interests or demographics—used in targeting. It is sometimes based on deterministic data but also can be probabilistic modeling based on ascertainable facts, perhaps as simple as people who visit sites about fishing are anglers. This is a similar group of individuals whose individual identities aren’t included in the data. They’re matched by common interests, demographics or observed behavior, such as online visits. [3]

Dayparting refers to the ability to specify different times of day—or day of week—for ad displays, as a way to target audiences more specifically. An option that limits viewing or serves of specified ads based on day and time factors. [1][2]

Geo targeting involves the delivery of digital ads specific to the geographic location of the searcher. Geo targeting allows the advertiser to specify where ads will or won’t be shown based on the searcher’s location, enabling more localized and personalized results. [1][2]

See also

Market segmentation
Target market

References

1. American Marketing Association. AMA Dictionary.
2. SEMPO. SEM Glossary.
3. Jack Neff, “Measurement glossary—what marketers and agencies need to know,” Ad Age, May 21,2025; https://adage.com/media/measurement/aa-measurement-glossary/