How to Get Google Ads to Target the Right Locations

Google Ads allows businesses to target specific locations, whether they serve a local area or the entire country. However, one hidden setting can cause your ads to appear outside your intended area, potentially wasting ad spend on irrelevant clicks.

By default, Google shows ads not only to people physically in your target location but also to those who show interest in it. This means you could be paying for clicks from users who aren’t actually in the areas you want to reach.

In this post, we’ll show you how to check if your ads are reaching the wrong audience and how to fix it.

How to Check If Your Ads Are Showing Outside Your Target Area

Google provides a way to see where your ads are actually being displayed.

Step 1: Check Matched Locations

Go to Insights and Reports → When and Where Ads Showed → Matched Locations.

Review where your ads have appeared.

If you notice clicks and impressions from locations outside your service area, it means Google’s default targeting settings are broadening your reach too much.

How to Fix: Change to Presence-Based Targeting

To ensure your ads only show to users physically in your target area, adjust your location settings.

Step 1: Update Location Settings

Go to Campaigns → Hover over the campaign you want to edit → Settings (gear icon).

Open Locations → Location options.

Change Presence or Interest to Presence: People in or regularly in your included locations.

Click Save to apply the changes.

This setting ensures your ads are only shown to users who are physically in your specified location, eliminating wasted ad spend from users outside your service area.