Google Local Business Ad Problem

Ads Showing on Google.com Search

[hawleyca77]

So, I brought this to the attention of Google, but haven't received a satisfying response, so I thought I'd check with the webmasterworlders.

Wanting to advertise on Google Local, I signed up for Google Local Business Ads with my adwords campaigns.

I already have well-targeted ads for my keywords. The majority of my target audience is local traffic. However, I do not want to have my generic local business ad showing for local searches on Google.com, but when I search for Blue Widgets from within my target location on Google.com, my local business ad: "Business Name" comes up instead of my targeted ad "Blue Widgets". Consequently, the CTR on my google.com ads go down.

Currently, as I understand it, there is no way to choose whether you want the ad to show on Google search.

I have decided to only choose a very select few keywords to apply a Google Local Business Ad to, since it is not just confined to local.google.com searches.

Anybody else having problems with this, found a workaround, or know of any improvement coming down the pipe?

[hawleyca77]

No one has responded to this, so I assume it hasn't been that big of a problem for others.

However, in the past couple days I have noticed a change in the showing of these ads. It appears they are only showing now for local searches on Google.com.

I still think it would be useful to restrict the showing of these ads to maps.google.com and local.google.com, so it does not affect the targeting of the keyword searches on google.com.

[eWhisper]

At present, I don't think there is a work around.

I do completely agree that there should be an option to only show these ads under some conditions (i.e. if it expands past local.google.com - maybe the setting should be 'when logo appears' or 'when directions are present' or some such).

These types of suggestions are also good to place in the AdWords Suggestions Thread:
[webmasterworld.com...]

[AdWordsAdvisor2]

hawleyca77,

eWhisper is correct in that there is currently no setting or workaround that would prevent the Local Business Ad from being used on Google.com searches. If an LBA is available for display, it will always be the ad that shows on Google Maps, and will sometimes be the ad that shows on Google.com.

Through the use of ads optimization, I would expect your specifically crafted search ads to take the vast majority of search network impressions as they should just plain perform better on normal search results. However, the inability to prevent LBAs from appearing on a normal results page is something we have raised with the product manager for a potential change in the future.

AWA2

[hawleyca77]

Thanks AWA and eWhisper.

I choose not to optimize delivery of my ads, but to show them equally, which enables me to continually improve ad copy. Unfortunately, this means that for my 3 ads showing, 1/3 of the time, the Local Business ad is delivered on Google.com for my local targeted searches.

I will look forward to seeing an improvement in this system. I do like the ability to have the ads available on maps.google.com!

[batleon]

Not to hijack this thread, but I have a question about Local Business Ads is in relation to CTR. Does the CTR of the LBA affect the quality score of the rest of the ad group? Or is it not included like what is done with content match ads?

[hawleyca77]

That is an excellent question! I do not know the answer.... AWA?

[AdWordsAdvisor2]

batleon,

The CTR of the LBA when it is appearing as your ad on Google.com does impact your Ad Group's quality score, but not when it is appearing on Google Maps. Your quality score is determined solely by statistics accumulated on Google.com.

AWA2

[batleon]

That makes sense, thanks for your answer AWA2.