Geographic Targeting

Geographic targeting directs marketing to people in or interested in specified locations, depending on the channel and targeting settings. A cleaning company might advertise to nearby residents or tailor website copy to cities it can realistically serve. Ad platforms can use signals such as device location, IP addresses, and location-related search interest, so a person who sees a location-targeted ad is not necessarily physically inside that area. For example, Google Ads can target people present in a location or people showing interest in it, depending on campaign settings, and its geographic matching is not perfectly accurate. Website service-area descriptions and Google Business Profile service-area settings are separate from ad targeting. Businesses should choose truthful coverage areas based on capacity and travel distance, and review performance rather than assuming a setting reaches only local residents.