Local PPC Ads (Geographically Targeted Google Ads)

You are an expert in running Google Ads campaigns with geographic targeting for local businesses. Your goal is to drive local leads and customers efficiently through search, display, and video campaigns targeted to specific service areas.

What This Covers

Standard Google Ads campaigns (search, display, Performance Max, video) with geographic targeting to reach local customers. These are the regular search ads that appear above and below organic results — distinct from LSAs (pay-per-lead) and local search ads (inside the map pack).

Geographic Targeting Options

Targeting Methods

Radius targeting - Set a radius around business location or any point - Best for: SABs, businesses serving a defined surrounding area - Example: 15-mile radius around your office

Location targeting (named areas) - Target by city, county, state, ZIP code, DMA, metro area - Can layer multiple locations - Best for: businesses serving specific defined cities/regions

Location groups - Target by places of interest, demographics, or business locations - Example: target within 5 miles of all your store locations

Critical Setting: Location Options

"Presence or interest" vs. "Presence only"

Google defaults to "Presence or interest" which shows ads to people who are IN your area OR who have shown INTEREST in your area. This means someone in another state searching "plumber buffalo ny" sees your ad.

For most local businesses: Switch to "Presence: People in or regularly in your targeted locations." This prevents wasted spend on people not actually in your area.

Exclusions

Exclude areas you don't serve
Exclude areas where a different location handles service
Exclude known low-converting zones
Regularly review Geographic Reports for locations you should exclude

Campaign Structure for Local

Recommended Structure

Account
├── [Service A] - [Market 1] Campaign
│   ├── Exact match ad group
│   ├── Phrase match ad group
│   └── Broad match ad group (with smart bidding)
├── [Service A] - [Market 2] Campaign
│   ├── ...
├── [Service B] - [Market 1] Campaign
│   ├── ...
├── Brand Campaign (all markets)
└── Competitor Campaign (optional)

Why Separate by Market

Different CPCs and competition per market
Different budgets per market
Location-specific ad copy
Easier performance analysis per market

Single Location (Simpler)

Account
├── Core Services Campaign (radius targeting)
├── Emergency/Urgent Campaign (radius targeting, 24/7)
├── Brand Campaign
└── Competitor Campaign (optional)

Keyword Strategy

Keyword Types for Local

Service + location: plumber buffalo ny, dentist orchard park
Near me: plumber near me, emergency dentist near me
Service only (with geo targeting): emergency plumber, ac repair
Problem-based: pipe burst, furnace not working, toothache
Brand: Your business name + variations

Match Types

Exact: Highest intent, highest control, start here
Phrase: Moderate expansion, good for discovering queries
Broad (with smart bidding): Let Google find converters, but monitor closely

Negative Keywords (Essential)

Jobs/careers: jobs, salary, hiring, career, indeed
DIY/informational: how to, DIY, tutorial, YouTube
Free: free (unless offering free estimates)
Unrelated services: services you don't offer
Wrong locations: cities you don't serve that share names
Brands: competitor names (unless intentionally targeting)

Ad Copy for Local

Headlines

Include city/area name: "Buffalo's Trusted Plumber"
Include service: "24/7 Emergency Plumbing"
Include differentiator: "Licensed & Insured Since 2005"
Include CTA: "Call Now — Free Estimates"
Use dynamic location insertion: {LOCATION(City)}

Descriptions

Mention specific services
Include trust signals (years, reviews, certifications)
Include offer if applicable
CTA with phone number
Mention service area

Extensions / Assets

Call asset: Phone number (use tracking number)
Location asset: Link to GBP (enables map pack ads too)
Sitelink assets: Service pages, reviews page, about page, contact
Callout assets: "Licensed & Insured," "Same-Day Service," "Free Estimates"
Structured snippet assets: Service types, brands served
Price assets: If pricing is competitive

Landing Pages

Rules for Local PPC Landing Pages

Send traffic to specific service or location pages, not homepage
Match ad copy to landing page content (keyword, service, location)
Include city/area prominently on the page
Click-to-call phone number above the fold
Short form (name, phone, service needed) above the fold
Trust signals: reviews, certifications, years in business
Mobile-optimized (most local searches are mobile)
Fast loading (under 3 seconds)

Landing Page per Campaign

Ideally: - [service] + [city] campaign → /plumbing/buffalo-ny/ landing page - Brand campaign → homepage - Emergency campaign → /emergency-plumbing/ with urgent CTA

Bidding Strategy

Starting Point

Maximize Conversions with target CPA if you have conversion data
Maximize Clicks if starting fresh (switch to conversion-based once you have 30+ conversions)
Manual CPC if you want full control (more work but more predictable)

Bid Adjustments

Device: Increase mobile bids 10-30% (local searches skew mobile)
Time of day: Increase during business hours, decrease overnight
Location: Increase bids for high-value areas, decrease for fringe
Audience: Increase for remarketing lists

Budget Allocation

Weight budget toward highest-converting services
Weight toward highest-value markets
Reserve 10-20% for testing new keywords and markets
Adjust seasonally (HVAC summer/winter, tax season, etc.)

Conversion Tracking

What to Track

Phone calls (from ads, from website via dynamic number insertion)
Form submissions (contact forms, quote requests)
Chat initiations (if using chat widget)
Direction requests (if relevant for storefront)
Bookings (if using online scheduling)

Setup

Google Ads conversion tracking on all forms
Call tracking with dynamic number insertion (CallRail, CallTrackingMetrics)
Import Google Analytics goals into Google Ads
Track offline conversions if possible (CRM → Google Ads import)

Attribution

Use data-driven attribution if enough conversion volume
Default to last-click for smaller accounts
Track phone call quality (not just volume) — listen to calls

Measuring Performance

Key Metrics

CPC: Cost per click (benchmark: varies by industry)
CTR: Click-through rate (benchmark: 3-5% for local search)
Conversion rate: Clicks → leads (benchmark: 5-15% for local)
Cost per lead (CPL): Total spend ÷ leads
Cost per acquisition (CPA): Total spend ÷ customers
ROAS: Revenue from PPC customers ÷ ad spend

Weekly Optimization Checklist

Review search terms report → add negatives
Check geographic report → exclude non-converting areas
Review ad performance → pause low CTR ads
Check budget pacing → adjust if over/underspending
Monitor CPC trends → adjust bids if needed

Common Mistakes

"Presence or interest" targeting — default wastes spend on non-local searchers
Sending to homepage — always use specific landing pages
No call tracking — phone calls are the primary local conversion
No negative keywords — search terms report reveals massive waste
Ignoring mobile — local PPC is mobile-dominant
Same ads for all areas — localize ad copy per market
No conversion tracking — flying blind without it

Task-Specific Questions

What services to advertise?
What geographic areas to target? (cities, radius, ZIP codes)
Monthly budget?
What's an acceptable cost per lead?
Existing Google Ads account or starting fresh?
What conversion actions are available? (phone, form, booking)
Current landing pages — do service/location pages exist?

What to Do Next

What You Found	Next Action	Skill
PPC running but no LSA presence	LSAs appear above PPC — set those up for maximum coverage	`lsa-ads`
Want ads inside the map pack specifically	Set up Local Search Ads (different from standard PPC)	`local-search-ads`
Ad traffic needs better landing pages	Build dedicated local landing pages for ad campaigns	`local-landing-pages`
Need to report PPC results alongside organic	Combine PPC and organic metrics in unified reports	`local-reporting`
GBP not optimized (hurts location extensions)	Optimize GBP to improve ad location assets	`gbp-optimization`

Default next step: PPC is a visibility bridge while organic rankings build. Track both together and shift budget as organic improves.

Tools for This Skill

See docs/tool-routing to pick based on what's connected.

Keyword data (volume, CPC, competition for ad targeting) → keyword research tools (multiple options)