Deep Look Into PPC Location Targeting

As we continue to look at different Adwords settings, and look for ways to help share some basic knowledge on how to manage PPC accounts, we found an important feature that can have a huge impact on a local business, location options.

Now if you service/sell to a national audience, then the default selection is just fine for you. However, most businesses are restricted in some way regarding where they sell their products and services. Which means you need to find the right geographic targeting for your company.

The first, and most important question that needs to be asked is, do you go out into your market, or do your customers come to your location? Followed by do you know where your customers are located? Where your competition is located, and how far are you/the customer realistically going to travel for your services?

First off, we should clarify, we’re not talking about if you select a zip code, city or state. We’re talking about the advanced features that help zero in on where you want your ads to be.

Google Adwords presents you 3 options to select in this setting;

- People in, searching for, or who show interest in my targeted location (recommended)

- People in my targeted location

- People searching for, or who show interest in my targeted location

If you’re not sure where your leads/clients come from, then the default/recommended option is certainly the best option. As that will cast the widest net. You then need to roll up your sleeves and start figuring out where these opportunities are coming from. Because we’ll be talking about #PPC-Bid-Adjustments in another post, and how that can be an enormous advantage for you.

The other type of business that can take advantage of this setting is the business that goes out into the market. These are the plumbers, real estate agents and contractors of the world looking to take advantage of internet marketing.

The second option is the one we feel is underutilized. IF you have a brick and mortar location, and IF you know where your customers are coming from/reside, then this is the best option for you. Especially if you’re in a competitive industry with alt

ernative options available to the customer. It’s usually not realistic that a customer drives 30 miles and passes 4 alternatives to come to you.

This “people in my targeted location” is as straightforward as it gets. You’re either in, or your out, and your ads only show to the “in crowd.”

*** Need to figure out where your clicks are coming from? This can be found under the dimensions tab, then select distance in the drop down menu.

The third option presents a pretty unique situation, in essence you only want to target people who are looking for solutions in your area, but are NOT IN your area. Relocation specialists, tour guides, and hotels flourish with this concept. Remember though, if you still rely on local traffic for your business, then you want to take advantage of the first (default) option. Otherwise you exclude people who are near you.

Remember that the more information you have, the more powerful PPC advertising can be. Start learning more about your customers, and lean on a #ppc-consultant to maximize your advertising dollars with an effective SEM strategy.

If you’re looking for more insight on how to take advantage of pay per click advertising, look at our recent post discussing ad extensions, and how they can boost your overall account performance.