What are location settings in Google Ads?

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Location settings in Google Ads allow you to define the geographic areas where you want your ads to be shown. By customizing location settings, you can target specific regions, cities, or even countries to ensure that your ads reach the most relevant audience based on their physical location or intent. Effective use of location settings helps increase the relevancy of your ads and can lead to better engagement, higher conversion rates, and more efficient ad spend.

Key Elements of Location Settings in Google Ads

Targeting Locations You can choose the specific locations where you want your ads to appear. This could be based on:
- Country: Advertise in one or more countries.
- Region/State/Province: Target specific regions within a country.
- City: Target specific cities or metro areas.
- Postal Code: Narrow targeting even further to specific areas within a city or region.
- Radius around a location: Choose a radius (measured in miles or kilometers) around a specific point, such as a store or office, to target people in that area.
This helps you focus your advertising efforts on areas where your business is most relevant or where you want to drive traffic.
Location Targeting vs. Location of Interest Google Ads offers two primary location targeting options:
- People in or regularly in your targeted locations: This setting targets users who are physically located in the selected location or who frequently visit those locations. For example, if you target a specific city, your ad will show to users currently in that city or those who live there.
- People searching for or viewing your targeted locations: This setting targets users who are actively searching for terms related to your targeted location, even if they are not physically located in that area. For example, if you target a specific country, your ads may show to someone in another country who is searching for a service available in the target country.
The key distinction here is whether you’re targeting physical location (where the user is) or location of interest (where they are searching or learning about).
Advanced Location Options You can refine your location settings with advanced options:
- Exclude Locations: You can exclude specific areas from your targeting. For example, if you are a local business in New York and don’t want your ads to show in other states, you can exclude those locations.
- Location Groups: Use pre-defined groups, such as business locations, places of interest, or demographic areas, to target users in specific areas. This is useful for businesses with more complex targeting needs.
Location Extensions Location extensions allow you to show your business address, phone number, and a map pin directly in your ads. This is especially useful for local businesses and helps users find your store or office quickly. Location extensions are available for search ads, display ads, and video ads.
Location Bid Adjustments Google Ads lets you adjust your bids based on location performance. For example:
- Increase bids for high-performing locations: If your ads are performing well in a specific region or city, you can increase your bids to ensure your ads are more likely to show in those areas.
- Decrease bids for underperforming locations: Conversely, you can decrease bids for areas that aren’t converting as well, making your budget more efficient.
This is a way to focus your budget on the areas that matter most and get the best return on investment (ROI).
Location Reporting Google Ads provides location reports, which show where your clicks and conversions are coming from. You can use these insights to assess the performance of your ads in different geographic areas and make informed decisions about where to allocate your budget.

Best Practices for Location Settings

Focus on Key Areas: Make sure to target the regions, cities, or countries that are most relevant to your business. If you have a local business, narrow your targeting to your town or city to reach nearby potential customers. If you have an international product or service, consider targeting the countries or regions where your offering is available.
Use Radius Targeting for Local Businesses: If you have a brick-and-mortar store, you can use radius targeting to advertise to users within a certain distance of your location. This ensures that your ads only appear to people who are nearby and likely to visit your store.
Exclude Irrelevant Locations: If there are areas where your business doesn’t operate or where you know your ads won’t perform well, exclude those locations from your campaign to save budget.
Refine with Location Adjustments: Regularly review your location performance in the Google Ads reporting section and make bid adjustments to focus your spend on high-performing areas.
Leverage Location Extensions: Use location extensions to make it easier for local users to find your business. Displaying your address, phone number, and a map pin can drive foot traffic and calls to your business.

Example of Location Settings for a Campaign

Imagine you run a chain of coffee shops in New York City and you want to target potential customers who are nearby:

Targeting: Choose to target users in New York City or within a 10-mile radius of your coffee shop locations.
Exclude Locations: Exclude areas outside of New York City, such as nearby cities or suburbs where you don’t have stores.
Location Extensions: Use location extensions to show your coffee shop address and phone number in your search ads, making it easier for users to find your shop.
Location Adjustments: If you know that your Manhattan store performs better than your Brooklyn location, increase the bid for Manhattan to get more visibility.

Summary:

Location settings in Google Ads help you tailor your ads to specific geographic areas, ensuring that your ads reach the right audience. Key components of location settings include:

Location targeting (e.g., country, region, city, or radius),
Location of interest targeting,
Location extensions for local businesses,
Bid adjustments for different locations,
Excluding irrelevant locations to maximize budget efficiency.

By using these tools, you can ensure that your ads are shown to the most relevant audience based on their location, leading to better performance and a higher return on your ad spend.

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