What is a Common Mistake People Make with Google Ads Targeting?

A common mistake in Google Ads targeting occurs when advertisers use the ‘presence or interest’ option. This setting allows people outside of your target geographic area, who show interest in your keywords, to see your ads. This can undermine local service businesses that rely on precise location targeting.

Full Explanation

Google Ads provides a setting called the ‘presence or interest’ targeting option. When this is enabled, your ads are shown not only to people physically present in your specified location but also to those who express interest in that location or related keywords. For local businesses, this means individuals far from your service area could see your ads if they search for relevant terms, which can waste your ad spend and reduce campaign efficiency.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

Advertiser sets up location targeting in Google Ads.
The ‘presence or interest’ option is selected, including people interested in your location regardless of their actual location.
Searchers outside your service area perform a search with keywords you target.
Your ad is shown to these searchers despite them being outside your location.
Potential wasted ad impressions and lower campaign performance for local businesses.

Real Examples

Imagine a local service business focused on customers within a particular city. If they use the ‘presence or interest’ target option, someone from another state who researches or shows interest in that city might still see their ad. This scenario creates ineffective ad delivery because those viewers are unlikely to become customers.

Common Mistakes

Choosing ‘presence or interest’ instead of more precise targeting options.
Failing to consider how location setting impacts who actually sees your ads.
Ignoring the consequences of showing ads to users outside your service area.

FAQs

What is the ‘presence or interest’ targeting option?: It is a Google Ads setting that shows your ads to users either physically present in your targeted location or those who have shown interest in that location.
Why is it a problem for local businesses?: Because it allows users outside the service area to see ads, which may lead to wasted budgets and less effective advertising.

Key Takeaways

Using the ‘presence or interest’ option can cause your ads to show outside your target location.
This targeting mistake can harm local service businesses by reducing ad relevance.
For best results, carefully select geographic targeting settings based on your business needs.