Interest-Based vs. Behavior-Based Targeting: Which Works Best in 2025?
As digital advertising evolves, targeting strategies continue to shift. Advertisers must decide between interest-based targeting and behavior-based targeting to maximize engagement and conversions. While both strategies help businesses reach potential customers, they operate in fundamentally different ways.
With the increasing focus on privacy regulations, AI-driven algorithms, and first-party data, advertisers in 2025 must refine their targeting to maintain efficiency. Understanding the strengths and limitations of both interest-based and behavior-based targeting is key to making informed marketing decisions.
What is Interest-Based Targeting?
Interest-based targeting focuses on user preferences, hobbies, and topics they engage with online. Platforms like Meta, Google, and TikTok collect data from user activity, such as:
- Pages and accounts followed on social media
- Topics searched and content interacted with
- Past website visits and time spent on specific categories
Advertisers can select predefined interests, such as “fitness,” “luxury travel,” or “organic skincare”, to reach users who engage with related content.
Benefits of Interest-Based Targeting
- Broad Reach – Expands brand awareness by reaching users who have shown general interest in a topic.
- Easy Setup – Simple to implement without requiring complex data analysis.
- Effective for Brand Discovery – Works well for new product launches, especially for impulse-driven purchases.
Challenges of Interest-Based Targeting
- Less Precision – Just because someone follows a fitness page doesn’t mean they are actively looking for workout gear.
- Lower Purchase Intent – Interest alone doesn’t guarantee a user is ready to buy.
- Ad Waste Potential – Advertisers may reach users who are interested but unlikely to convert.
What is Behavior-Based Targeting?
Behavior-based targeting focuses on how users act online rather than what they say they like. This strategy uses real-time and historical actions to determine user intent, making it a more data-driven approach.
Behavioral signals include:
- Past purchases or abandoned carts
- Search queries related to a specific product or service
- Website visits and time spent on product pages
- Ad interactions (clicks, video views, engagements)
This method leverages first-party data, AI learning models, and predictive analytics to target users based on real actions, not just expressed interests.
Benefits of Behavior-Based Targeting
- Higher Intent – Users are targeted based on actual engagement, making them more likely to convert.
- Personalized Ad Delivery – More relevant messaging and offers can be tailored based on past actions.
- Better Retargeting Opportunities – Helps brands re-engage users who have shown purchase intent.
Challenges of Behavior-Based Targeting
- Requires Strong Data Collection – Businesses need proper tracking (Meta Pixel, Google Analytics, CRM data).
- More Complex Setup – Requires audience segmentation and frequent optimization.
- Privacy Limitations – With increasing restrictions on data collection, advertisers must rely more on first-party data.
Interest-Based vs. Behavior-Based Targeting: Key Differences
| Factor | Interest-Based Targeting | Behavior-Based Targeting |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | User interests and preferences | Past actions and intent signals |
| Targeting Basis | Pages followed, topics liked | Website visits, purchases, searches |
| Audience Intent | Low-to-medium | High |
| Best For | Awareness campaigns, broad reach | Retargeting, conversion-focused ads |
| Precision | Less accurate | Highly accurate |
Which Targeting Strategy Works Best in 2025?
Best Use Cases for Interest-Based Targeting
- Brand Awareness Campaigns – Businesses introducing a new product or entering a new market.
- Content-Based Ads – Driving engagement on blog posts, educational content, or video ads.
- Expanding Audience Reach – Reaching people who haven’t engaged with the brand but fit a relevant category.
Best Use Cases for Behavior-Based Targeting
- E-Commerce Retargeting – Following up with users who added items to their cart but didn’t complete checkout.
- Lead Generation & Sales Funnels – Nurturing users who have shown high engagement with previous campaigns.
- Dynamic Product Ads – Automatically showing products based on browsing history.
How to Combine Both for Maximum Results
While behavior-based targeting offers better precision and higher intent, interest-based targeting still plays a role in expanding brand reach. The best approach is to use both strategically in a multi-stage advertising funnel.
1: Use Interest-Based Targeting for Prospecting
- Run brand awareness campaigns targeting broad interest-based audiences.
- Use video ads, carousel posts, and interactive content to engage new users.
- Focus on low-cost engagement objectives (views, clicks, post interactions).
2: Use Behavior-Based Targeting for Retargeting & Conversions
- Create Custom Audiences from users who visited product pages or engaged with past ads.
- Run retargeting ads offering special promotions or social proof.
- Use Lookalike Audiences based on high-value customer actions.
3: Optimize & Scale
- Test different messaging and ad formats to refine performance.
- Exclude irrelevant users to reduce ad fatigue and wasted spend.
- Adjust budget allocation based on which segment drives the highest ROAS.
Final Thoughts
As third-party cookies phase out and privacy regulations increase, behavior-based targeting will become even more critical for digital advertisers. However, interest-based targeting still plays a role in top-of-funnel brand awareness and prospecting.
By combining interest and behavior-based strategies, businesses can attract new customers while optimizing campaigns for high-intent buyers. The key is to use data-driven audience segmentation, retargeting, and personalization to create a high-performing ad strategy in 2025.
