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This Week's Feature ↓

Maximize Your Local Target with Google Ads

Part 1 of 2:

In my 12+ years working with Google Ads, I've discovered that location bidding and targeting are often overlooked and underutilized.

Typically overshadowed by keywords and ad copy, location targeting is a secondary asset to most people running their ads. However, it's a powerful tool that, when used effectively, can significantly improve your ad performance and ROI.

Bid Adjustments on Locations Can Help Boost a New Customer Base

Just like keywords, locations can be used to zero in on your audience, more specifically, to target the right audience. Using targeted and negative locations (just like keywords) allows local businesses to maximize their budget for the right people.

Basics of Setting Up Locations for Targeting

Google typically asks users "where" they want to target their ads, but it usually stops after they select a town, county, or radius region. This is where most people stop with any location settings, missing out on the potential to save money with advanced settings.

Save money with Advanced Settings

When targeting an audience, it's important to target where you don't want to make sales just as much as where you do.

Steps for Advanced Location Settings Per Campaign:

1. Select Locations: Choose locations you want to target for a campaign, including radius locations, towns, counties, states, or countries. You will also want to use excluded locations (more on that later), which you can change here.
2. Location Options: A "Location options" dropdown is below these settings. Click that, and you will be presented with two options:
   • Option 1 (Recommended by Google): Presence or Interest. This means your ads will show to those in your area AND people who may have been passing through or doing a quick search.
   • Option 2: Presence. People located in your included locations.

After considering these options, most local businesses do not need to target people outside their immediate area, which means Google's "recommendation" could serve your ads to people who will never buy from you.

When to Use Option 1: Hotels or Destinations

If you're advertising a hotel or destination that people are searching for outside of your immediate area - then option 1 makes sense.

When to Use Option 2: Local & Service Businesses

If you're advertising local businesses that rely on foot traffic or a service-based company traveling locally to customers - then option 2 makes sense.

Part 2 Coming Next Week...

I've covered the essentials of selecting and excluding locations in Google Ads to optimize your local targeting strategy. But there's even more you can do to refine your approach and get the most out of your advertising budget.

In next week's newsletter, I'll dive into the advanced techniques of layering your location targeting. This includes using various radii for nuanced bid adjustments, targeting specific towns and counties, and integrating these strategies to create a highly efficient and effective ad campaign.

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