Retargeting: pixels, audiences, frequency

Retargeting is the cheapest performance channel after organic. ROAS of retargeting campaigns on our projects are on average 3–5 times higher than cold traffic. Reason obvious: we bring back those who are already familiar with the brand and were interested in the product. But in 2026, retargeting is broken in half of the cases - pixels are cut by iOS, cookies last 7 days, Metrica loses 30–40% of sessions. This chapter is about how to set up retargeting so that it works in new conditions.

pixels: set to day one

On a Russian website in 2026 you need at least two pixels: Ya.Metrika (for Direct and Ya.Auditory) and VK Pixel (for VK Ads). Google Tag Manager - still working for Google Analytics 4, but you can do without GTM.

Ya.Metrica is installed with one JS snippet in <head>. Important Options that are often forgotten: webvisor: true (recordings of sessions), clickmap: true (heat map), accurateTrackBounce: true (exact failure at 15+ seconds). After installation, set up at least 5 goals: visit key pages, scroll 75%, clicks on CTA, filling out forms, fact of purchase.

VK Pixel: the same approach, but with an emphasis on e-com events. pageView, addToCart, initiateCheckout, purchase with the transfer of the amount. Without transferring the amount, the VK algorithm will not be able to optimize your campaign for ROAS.

segmentation: seven must-have audiences

Not “all visitors in 30 days are one audience.” Segmentation works on the principle “how close a person is to buying.” The closer, the higher they are willing to pay for a touch.

1. All visitors for 30 days. Basic general audience. CPC is adequate, CR average. We use it for general retargeting of promotions.
2. Category visitors. A specific section of the site (for example, "wireless mats"). Narrow, more expensive than the basic one, but CR is 2–3 times higher.
3. We looked at the product card. The hottest "cold" audience. High bid, specific product in creative.
4. Abandoned cart. CR is typically 8-15% with proper communication. We are launching a separate campaign with the most aggressive target and “forgot” creative pay - here's the promo code."
5. We looked at the payment page and did not pay. Hottest, CR 15–25%.
6. We bought it once, a long time ago (90+ days). Reactivation. We count as a separate campaign for the purpose of repeat purchase.
7. Similar to Buyers (LAL). Cold traffic, but builds through retargeting logic. See chapter 8.

frequency cap: where is the border between “enough” and “got it”

Without a frequency cap, retargeting turns into self-harassment of the audience. One and the same the user will see your creative 40 times a day, hate the brand, block or will complain. The Direct and VK algorithms themselves require this, but the default settings too soft.

Working layout by frequency of display per week:

• Cold traffic (LAL, interests) – 3–5 impressions per week
• Basic retargeting (all visitors) – 5–7 impressions
• Abandoned cart – 8–12 impressions within 7 days (we burn out aggressively)
• Buyer reactivation - 2-3 impressions per week, 14-day campaign

These numbers are the median. The exact frequency is determined through a test: we launch a campaign, in a week we look at the CTR by day. When CTR starts to drop by 30% - exceeded threshold. It's called frequency cap — can be configured directly in the campaign.

what to do when ios cuts cookies

Apple with iOS 14.5 (and now even more aggressively in iOS 18) cuts cookies for 7 days and blocks cross-site tracking. Ya.Metrika and VK Pixel lose 30-40% of iOS sessions - this is real visitors that you cannot return with classic retargeting.

What we do:

• First-party data. We collect email, phone, username Telegram - anything that will survive cookie blocking. We upload this data to Y.Audience and VK Ads via CSV - we get a match with real users.
• Server-side tracking. We send events not from the front, but from backend of the site. Metrica and VK support server-side, events do not depend on browser locks.
• Login on the site. If the user is logged in, we link him with CRM-id and tracked without cookies.
• End-to-end analytics. CallTouch, Roistat, PrimeGate work via own algorithms and see more than standard pixels.

exceptions: to whom advertising is not shown

The list of exceptions is more important than the list of targets. Whom we always exclude:

• Current paying customers (CRM database last 30 days)
• Company employees and their families (by email or geo-office)
• Already subscribed to our channel/group (for subscription mechanics)
• Those who unsubscribed from the mailing list (a clear signal of “no more contact”)

Without exception, you will show advertising to your own clients, spend your budget and irritate the audience.

segment lifespan

The storage period of data in a segment is a compromise between the size of the audience and its relevance. Basic terms:

retargeting setup checklist

1. Ya.Metrika and VK Pixel are installed, events are transmitted.
2. 7 basic segments are configured (see above).
3. Frequency cap is set for each campaign.
4. Exceptions have been added to every campaign.
5. Creatives for each segment are different (you can’t have one creative for everything).
6. Server-side tracking at least for purchases and registrations.
7. The UTM markup on each retargeting creative is unique.

in the next chapter

Chapter 8 is a deep dive into look-alike and segments. How to build LAL, difference between accuracy 1/2/3, custom audiences and exceptions for scaling.