Although my campaign is targeted on Los Angeles, I regularly receive (and of course pay for) clicks from all over the U.S. What's worse, I often am unable to see my own ads (I'm in Los Angeles) because Google often determines that I'm outside the geo-targeted area. The same thing must be happening regularly to the Los Angeles-based searchers that I WANT to see my ads!
Should I open my campaign coverage area to the entire U.S. just to ensure Los Angeles searchers will see my ads? That will cost more $$$ too, of course.
What's worse, I often am unable to see my own ads (I'm in Los Angeles)...
Starboy, are you checking from various computers in your area? In the past, I've had difficulties seeing my own ads (due to, I believe, Google's IP targeting... from my IP, there were many searches but rarely clicks on my big keywords). If it's wider-spread that just your machine, I'd be concerned... but I'd check around to make sure it's as big a problem as you fear.
Good luck.
Los Angeles-based searchers that I WANT to see my ads!When you e.g. visit via AOL it could be that Google asumes that you are browsing in Virginia where AOLs servers are located.
How will that ensure that searchers located in my geo-targeted area see my ad?
Of course this will not ensure anything.
However, if you target, say, the whole state or even the whole of the USA then that should help ensure everyong in the LA area is able to see your ad. This is stage 1.
Stage 2 is to word the Ad itself to make clear it is an ad for LA specifically. Clearly this won't prevent someone on NY clicking on it, but it should ensure that the vast majority of clicks are from people looking for something in LA. If people in, say, Texas see your Ad for LA, it costs you nothing unless they click. Why should they click your add if it says it is for LA?
[edited by: Pengi at 3:20 pm (utc) on Dec. 31, 2006]
Google can only base geo-targeting on IP adresses - sometimes these are misleading.
G's geotargeting is also based on the query. This is reasonable; people travel to Los Angeles, so it makes sense to offer Los Angeles targeted ads to people seeking such information from outside of Los Angeles.
G's geotargeting is also based on the query. This is reasonable; people travel to Los Angeles, so it makes sense to offer Los Angeles targeted ads to people seeking such information from outside of Los Angeles.
As I understand it, if someone searches on "Restaurant" and they have an IP address that is in LA they may be shown ads for Restaurants that are targetted at LA (or wider). If someone searches on "LA restaurant" but they may still be shown Ads that are targetted at LA only even though they have, say, a NY IP address.
