Should the city be included in the keyword?

Short Answer: The city should be included in the ad itself rather than necessarily in the keyword. Using a “City Plus” service approach makes the ad most relevant to the viewer.

Full Explanation

When planning your advertising strategy, it is important to consider how to make your message as relevant as possible to your target audience. Incorporating the city name directly into the ad copy, rather than the keyword, achieves this relevance effectively. This means that while your keywords remain broader, the ad text itself will feature the city name prominently to appeal to local viewers and increase engagement.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

Choose general keywords: Select keywords related to your product or service without embedding a specific city name.
Include the city in your ad copy: Insert the city or locality name within the ad messaging, which is what the viewer will see.
Use a “City Plus” service approach: This means the ad highlights the city plus the service, making it more targeted without restricting the keyword itself.
Optimize for relevance: This strategy ensures that the ad feels localized and relevant to the viewer, helping increase the chances of engagement and conversions.

Real Examples

For instance, if you are advertising plumbing services, your keyword might be simply “plumbing services,” but the ad would say “[City] Plumbing Services.” This way, you capture a broader search intent with the keyword while customizing the ad to the viewer’s location.

Common Mistakes

Including the city name in the keyword rather than the ad, which can limit reach and reduce relevancy for a broader audience.
Neglecting to mention the city at all, which can cause the ad to feel generic and less appealing to local customers.
Using a mismatch between keywords and ad copy that confuses potential customers or lowers ad relevance scores.

FAQs

Q: Can I include the city in both the keyword and the ad?
A: While it’s possible, focusing on including the city in the ad rather than the keyword is generally more effective for relevancy.

Q: Does this approach work for all types of services?
A: This strategy is advantageous especially when local relevance is important, such as for location-based services.

Key Takeaways

Including the city in the ad copy enhances local relevance.
Keeping keywords general allows broader reach.
The “City Plus” service approach maximizes viewer engagement by tailoring the ad to their location.
This strategy balances keyword flexibility with targeted advertising effectiveness.