How to target your local area with Google Ads

• Whole countries.
• Areas within a country: regions, cities or postal codes, depending on the country.
• A radius around a point, such as your business address. The minimum is 1 km.
• Up to 1,000 locations at a time with Add locations in bulk.

Source: Google Ads Help: Target ads to geographic locations, checked 15 October 2026

1. In Google Ads, open the Campaigns menu and select Locations.
2. Select the blue pencil icon, then Select a campaign, and choose the campaign.
3. Enter a town, region or postcode. Include the country with a town name to avoid matching a place with the same name elsewhere.
4. Select Save.

• Google says to target where your customers are, which isn't always where your business is.

Source: Google Ads Help: Target ads to geographic locations, checked 15 October 2026

1. Go to Locations in the Campaigns menu and select the blue pencil icon.
2. Select Select a campaign and choose the campaign.
3. Select Radius.
4. Enter the address for the centre, then the distance and unit.
5. Check the area on the map, then select Save.

• Google warns that a very small radius or location may show your ads only intermittently, or not at all.

Source: Google Ads Help: Target ads to geographic locations, checked 15 October 2026

This setting decides whether people outside your area can see your ads.

• Google's example: a Paris bakery targeting Paris could reach people interested in Paris bakeries, not only people in Paris.
• Google suggests Presence if you want to exclude interested people outside your area.
• These options apply to Search, Display and Demand Gen ads.

Sources: Google Ads Help: About advanced location options, checked 15 October 2026; Google Ads Help: Target ads to geographic locations, checked 15 October 2026

1. To exclude: go to Locations, open the Locations exclusions tab, select the blue pencil icon, choose the campaign, add the areas, review them and select Exclude all.
2. To see where ads showed: go to Campaigns, then Insights and reports, then When and where your ads showed, and open the Matched locations tab.

• Matched locations can be people's physical locations or locations they showed interest in.
• Figures below country level may not add up to campaign totals, because some impressions are only matched to a country.
• If you use location assets, the distance report shows how far people were from your nearest business location (Search and Shopping campaigns only).

Sources: Google Ads Help: Target ads to geographic locations, checked 15 October 2026; Google Ads Help: View matched locations and distance reports, checked 15 October 2026

Check these:

• You're searching from outside your target area. Use the Ad Preview and Diagnosis tool instead of searching Google yourself.
• Your radius or area is too small, or below Google's minimum size and user-count privacy thresholds.
• Targeting doesn't follow exact borders. Google says it's a best estimate based on signals such as settings, devices and behaviour.
• Your campaign uses Presence or interest, so people elsewhere who search for your area can see ads.
• Google also advises keeping language and location settings consistent, such as English ads for English speakers in England.

Sources: Google Ads Help: Target ads to geographic locations, checked 15 October 2026; Google Ads Help: About advanced location options, checked 15 October 2026

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