Adwords Ads Now Showing Local Ads

[bhartzer]

In certain keyword searches, the Adwords ads that are showing up on the right-hand side of the Google SERPs are showing local ads.

Apparently, Google knows what city you live in and is now showing ads that are relevent to where you live. For example, if you do a search for widgets you get 'cityname widgets' ads on the right.

Is this new?

It doesn't work all the time, though, as I asked a local friend (in the same city) to check the SERPs and they were using a DSL connection and Google thinks they are in a State 1200+ miles away.

[eWhisper]

This is part of G's regional targeting:

[webmasterworld.com...]

G FAQ: [adwords.google.com...]

[bhartzer]

I understand this is something they've been wanting to do for a long time and have been beta-testing it.

But it's just now showing up--today. Last week it wasn't there.

[ogletree]

The people in that search may have just turned it on. Google does not just put people there it is op in. I bid on terms that I just want people from my state. If someone types in a very general term it only shows up for people in my state and says the state at the bottom of the ad. I have had this for several months working just fine. Of course this falls apart for AOL users because they all show up from one state. Do the same search from an AOL account and you will not see that ad.

[AdWordsAdvisor]

I understand this is something they've been wanting to do for a long time and have been beta-testing it.
But it's just now showing up--today. Last week it wasn't there.

This is part of G's regional targeting:
[webmasterworld.com...]

I think there may be a bit of confusion going on here between 'Regional Targeting' for AdWords, and the 'Google Local' search Beta program for the unpaid search results - which was released in the middle of last month. Not sure of the exact date, I'm embarrassed to say!

If you do a search that has a local component to the query - such as a city name or zip code, then at the top of the search results you'll get link to results from the Local search Beta. But this is all over on the left.

AWA

[danieljean]

AWA- is the regional targetting for Canada new? How long have I been asleep?

This is a great surprise! :)