Google introduces more advanced controls for location targeting in AdWords

In another development for Google Ads (AdWords), the search engine has enhanced the control over the targeting of local adverts. At the end of the month, Google announced that it’s now possible to target adverts based upon a user’s physical location or the location of interest.

What this change means is that advertisers can now target users by the place where they are actually situated, compared to those that just include a location in a search query. In addition to this, extra options have also been included for advertisers to exclude locations that are not required in their local targeting.

Previously, advertisers who were using a regional or local targeting setting would have their adverts appearing to all users who searched for “restaurants in newcastle” for example, regardless of their physical location. Now the adverts can be set to appear to those searchers who are only in Newcastle, by using the new target physical location option.

It’s also now possible to target where the adverts appear by excluding by physical location and search intent. For example, an advertiser with a chain of restaurants throughout Devon but not in Exeter doesn’t want his adverts to appear to users that live there, or others that don’t but are looking there anyway by including Exeter in the search query. He can now prevent that group of searchers seeing the adverts, but still display the ads to people in the area that should see the ads.

Another feature is the ability to exclude by physical location only, so if he only wants to advertise his restaurant in Newcastle to people who don’t live there and are just visiting, this is now possible. Previously, if Newcastle was excluded from the targeting, it would prevent adverts appearing for those living there and those not from there using it in the search query.

So this is a very useful new addition to Google’s ever increasing functionality in AdWords. It reflects the recent emphasis that Google has been putting on local search results and will greatly enhance the precision of the targeting of Adwords adverts.

If you’d like more information about how this enhanced AdWords location targeting can help to improve the cost-effective marketing of your business, contact us now.

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