How Do I Set Up Location Targeting in Google Ads?

Setting up location targeting in Google Ads involves deselecting any current locations, then choosing your specific target area, which could be a city like Kansas City, Missouri, or a radius around it. Once you’ve made your selections, you save the settings to apply the targeting.

Full Explanation

Location targeting in Google Ads allows advertisers to focus their campaigns on a particular geographic area. To begin, you first need to remove or deselect any existing location targeting to clear previous settings. After clearing the current location, you proceed to set your new target location. This can be as precise as a single city, such as Kansas City, Missouri. Additionally, you can customize your targeting further by defining a radius around that location—for example, targeting people within 50 miles of Kansas City. This flexible targeting helps ensure that your ads reach the most relevant audience based on geography. After setting your preferred location and radius, you simply click on Save to confirm and apply your new location targeting settings.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

Deselect current location: Begin by removing any existing location settings to start fresh.
Click Next: Proceed to the next step where you will define your location targeting.
Specify the location: Enter the geographic area you want to target, such as Kansas City, Missouri.
Set a radius (optional): Define how far around your specified location you want your ads to appear, like 50 miles around Kansas City.
Save your settings: Finish by clicking Save to confirm your location targeting choices.

Real Examples

If you are running an advertising campaign focused on Kansas City, Missouri, you would set your location to that city. You might also choose to include a radius around the city, such as 50 miles, to reach nearby potential customers who are still relevant to your business area. This approach ensures your ads are displayed to users most likely to engage with your business based on their location.

Common Mistakes

Forgetting to deselect current locations: Not removing old location settings can cause confusion and prevent your new targeting from being applied correctly.
Not setting an accurate location: Choosing an incorrect city or area can waste budget showing ads to irrelevant audiences.
Skipping the radius setting: Missing the option to include a radius might limit your reach unnecessarily if you want to target a broader area.

FAQs

What does deselecting the current location do?: It clears any previously set geographic targeting to allow you to set a new, specific location.
Can I target a radius around a city?: Yes, you can specify a radius, like 50 miles around a city, to expand the area where your ads will appear.
When do I save my location targeting settings?: After choosing your location and radius, you save the settings to apply them to your campaign.

Key Takeaways

Always start by clearing existing location settings to avoid conflicts.
Choose your target location carefully for maximum ad relevance.
Consider using a radius around your location to reach a wider, but still relevant, audience.
Don’t forget to save your location targeting changes to activate them.