Glossary entry
What is Geo-Targeting?
Geo-targeting restricts ad delivery to specific countries, regions, cities, ZIP codes, or radii. Done well it eliminates 20 to 40% of wasted spend in most accounts. Done poorly it strangles audience reach or accidentally serves competitor markets.
Geo-targeting modes
Presence (users currently in location), Interest (users searching for the location), Presence + Interest (default on Google and the most common cause of wasted spend on out-of-market clicks).
Common geo mistakes
Targeting by country when service area is one city. Including 'interested in' when only physical visits convert. Forgetting to exclude the office IP from analytics. Each costs 5 to 20% of budget.
Geo-targeting and bid adjustments
Higher value cities can take a bid premium, lower value ones a bid penalty. Apply 10 to 30% bid adjustments based on the ZIP code conversion data, refresh quarterly.
How Unled Network helps
Managed Campaigns audits geo settings monthly. Google Maps SEO and Google Business Profile services handle hyperlocal organic alongside paid.
Related Unled Network services
Frequently asked
Should I target by city or radius?
Radius for service businesses. City when delivery boundaries match city limits. ZIP for hyperlocal precision.
Can I exclude specific neighborhoods?
Yes, exclusion radius or excluded ZIPs work on every major platform.
Does geo-targeting work for brand campaigns?
Yes, but loosen it. Brand searches happen everywhere your customers travel.
How accurate is geo-targeting?
City: very accurate. ZIP: usually accurate. Sub-ZIP: depends on device GPS.