Find out when visitors can be targeted with variations by Marketo audiences.
Before you get started
The prerequisites for this article are that you have integrated with Marketo and imported at least one list that includes the visitor as a Marketo lead. Note that all Marketo static lists are imported automatically.
For new site visitors, the earliest a visitor can see a Marketo-targeted variation is on their third page view. This is because Marketo must first identify the visitor as a contact lead. Optimize caches the association, so returning visitors are eligible for first-page personalization. We'll cover the process and the two ways Marketo identifies contact leads.
How visitor matching works
Each step of this flow requires the visitor to view another site page.
- Page view A — Marketo identifies the visitor as a known lead and Optimize learns this association
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Page view B — Optimize caches the visitor's Marketo lead info to the visitor's browser's
localStorage - Page view C — the visitor is eligible for Marketo-targeted variations to be shown
All subsequent page views, including return visits, can be personalized with Marketo-targeted variations. If the visitor clears their browser cache, however, the process resets.
Scenario 1: Prospect is a recipient of a Marketo email
A prospect receives a Marketo-generated email with a link to your site that contains Marketo tracking parameters. The prospect clicks the link and arrives on your site.
- First page view — Marketo identifies the visitor as a known lead and Optimize learns this association
- Second page view — Optimize cache's the visitor's Marketo lead info
- Third page view — eligible personalized variations are shown to the visitor
Scenario 2: Prospect submits a Marketo form
The other way Marketo identifies the visitor as a known lead is when they submit a Marketo form from your website.
Note
Visitors can view any number of site pages before submitting a Marketo form.
- Form submitted — Marketo identifies the visitor as a known lead and Optimize learns this association
- Next page view — Optimize cache's the visitor's Marketo lead info
- Next page view — eligible personalized variations are shown to the visitor
Once the visitor submits the form, they may leave the site. For these visitors, eligible Marketo-targeted variations would be shown on the second page view of their return visit.