Why Do We Need to Exclude Locations If We Already Set a Location at the Beginning?

Short Answer: Setting a location at the start of your Google Ads campaign targets people in or showing interest in that area, but ads can still appear to those outside your desired locations unless you explicitly exclude them.

Full Explanation

When you initially set a location in Google Ads, the platform targets users based on two factors: people physically located in the selected area, and users who show an interest in that location. This means that Google Ads might display your ads to individuals outside your targeted geographic area if they have demonstrated interest implicitly or explicitly. For example, someone researching or searching about your location but currently outside it may still see your ads.

To avoid showing ads to unwanted locations, excluding areas where you don’t want your ads to appear is essential. Without exclusions, your ad reach may extend beyond your intended audience, potentially leading to wasted budget and irrelevant traffic.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

1. Set Your Target Location: Begin by specifying the primary geographic location for your campaign where you want your ads to appear.
2. Understand Default Behavior: Recognize that Google Ads will target both users physically inside that location and users showing interest in that location, regardless of where they are.
3. Identify Unwanted Locations: Determine the locations where you do not want your ads to appear, especially if these areas fall within general regions Google might target due to user interest.
4. Exclude Those Locations: Use the exclusion feature in Google Ads to remove unwanted locations explicitly from your campaign targeting.
5. Monitor and Adjust: After exclusions, review campaign data to ensure ads are only shown to your intended audience and refine exclusions as needed.

Real Examples

Although specific real-world cases are not provided here, the concept implies situations like a business targeting New York City but without wanting to show ads to users in nearby states who might be searching about NYC. Excluding neighboring states ensures the ads appear only within NYC.

Common Mistakes

• Assuming setting a location once restricts ads strictly to that place without exclusions.
• Neglecting to exclude areas outside the target location, leading to ads shown in unintended regions.
• Not reviewing campaign location reports to detect unwanted ad impressions in excluded zones.

FAQs

Q: Isn’t setting one location enough?
Setting one location targets users there and those interested, but without exclusions, users outside can still see your ads.

Q: How do I exclude locations?
You can add locations to the exclusion list in your Google Ads campaign settings to prevent your ads from appearing there.

Q: Will excluding locations reduce my ad reach?
Yes, exclusions limit your ads to the intended areas, which optimizes your budget by avoiding irrelevant impressions.

Key Takeaways

• Google Ads targets both users in your location and those interested in it by default.
• Excluding unwanted locations is critical to maintaining precise ad targeting.
• Exclusions help prevent wasted ad spend and ensure your ads reach the right audience.