Why Do I Get Searches From Different Cities?

Short Answer: You receive searches from different cities because your campaign is set to target people who are present in, or regularly in, the locations you have included. This means even if someone travels from one city to another, they can still see your campaign based on their recent or regular presence in those areas.

Full Explanation

When you launch a campaign targeting specific locations, the system does not limit your ads strictly to people currently in those locations. Instead, it targets users who are either physically present there at the time of search or who regularly spend time there. This broadens your campaign’s reach and ensures that people who are associated with your included locations can still see your ads.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

You select one or more locations to target in your campaign settings.
The location setting “presence people in or regularly in your included location” is enabled by default.
Because of this setting, people who have recently been in a location or who frequently visit it are eligible to see your ads.
For example, someone who recently left Baltimore and drove to Alexandria may still see ads targeted to Baltimore because they regularly spend time there.

Real Examples

Imagine a person who has traveled from Baltimore to Alexandria. Despite currently being in Alexandria, they might still be served your campaign if Baltimore is within your targeted locations. This happens due to the presence setting that accounts for people regularly or recently located within specified areas.

Common Mistakes

Assuming your campaign only targets searches from people physically within the targeted city at the exact time of their search.
Not realizing that location settings may include users who regularly visit or have been recently present in the targeted location.

FAQs

Q: Can I limit my campaign to only people physically in a city at the moment of their search?
A: This depends on your campaign’s location targeting settings. By default, many campaigns include people regularly or recently present in the location.

Q: Why does someone who left a city still see my ads for that city?
A: Because they are considered regularly or previously in that location, your campaign targeting allows your ads to show to them.

Key Takeaways

Your campaign’s location targeting includes people present or regularly in chosen locations.
This setting expands the reach of your campaign beyond just the people currently in the city.
Understanding this helps explain why you might see searches from different cities than expected.