Google Ads location targeting controls the geographic areas where a campaign may reach people. Advertisers can target countries, regions, cities, postal areas where available, or a radius around a location. The crucial decision is whether to reach people physically in the area, people interested in the area, or both.
For help aligning geography, search intent, and landing pages, see Trusted Web Creators’ Google and Meta Ads services.
What is Presence or Interest targeting?
Google’s default broad option can reach people likely to be in or regularly in a targeted location and people who have shown interest in it. Interest may be inferred from searches, past activity, Maps use, content, and other signals. This broader setting can fit travel, relocation, education, and businesses serving customers before they arrive.
What is Presence targeting?
Presence targeting limits delivery to people likely to be in or regularly in the selected area. It can be more appropriate for a local service business that cannot serve people outside a defined territory. Switching from broad targeting usually reduces impressions, so compare lead quality and volume rather than assuming narrower is automatically better.
How accurate is Google Ads location targeting?
Google uses signals such as IP address, device location, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, cell data, behavior, and settings. Google describes this as a best effort and does not guarantee 100% accuracy. Very small areas can have limited reach or less precise mapping.
Review the geographic performance report and actual customer addresses or service areas when appropriate. Exclude locations that repeatedly produce unqualified demand, while allowing enough data for a fair evaluation.
How should a local business choose locations?
Target places the business can genuinely serve profitably. Consider travel time, delivery limits, licensing, seasonality, language, sales capacity, and location-specific offers. Use landing pages that accurately describe the service area; avoid creating thin location pages that say little beyond changing a city name.
Check location options after copying campaigns because inherited defaults may be broader than expected. To plan a local campaign, get started with Trusted Web Creators.
Disclaimer: This article is general educational information. Google Ads settings, available location types, and signals can change. Geographic accuracy, impressions, leads, sales, costs, and returns are not guaranteed.