Service area targeting
Service area targeting is setting the region where your ads are shown, using a radius, towns or postcodes. That way, you only pay for reach among people in the area where you actually work.
- 3 min read
What is service area targeting?
In Google Ads and Meta, you decide where your ads are shown. That's called location targeting. For a trade business, it comes down to your service area: the towns and regions where you want to take on jobs.
You can set up a service area in a few ways. With a radius around your premises, for example a certain number of kilometres. With individual towns or municipalities. Or with postcode areas. You can also exclude areas, so you're never shown there.
Why it matters
Every click outside your service area is money wasted. You can't take on an enquiry from someone a hundred kilometres away, but you've paid for it. What's more, a smart bidding strategy learns from all enquiries. If many enquiries come in from outside your area, the system looks for more of those people.
Presence or interest
This is the setting that's wrong most often. Google Ads can show your ad to people who are in your area or are there regularly. That's called presence. But the default is often wider: also people who show interest in your area, for example because they search for it, while they're somewhere else.
For most trade businesses, presence is the right choice. Someone who lives in another part of the country and searches for your region while on holiday doesn't have a roof for you to repair. There are exceptions. Think of children arranging a job for their parents, or someone about to buy a house in your region. So look in your report at where the clicks really come from.
With Meta, it works slightly differently. There you choose an area and the system uses location data to decide who lives there or was there recently. Here too, it's wise to keep the area tight and to check where the leads come from.
An example from installation
Say a solar panel installer works within a radius around its own premises, but doesn't want to drive over a bridge or through a busy city. The campaign is set to a wide radius, with the default setting for interest.
A check shows that some of the enquiries come from towns outside the service area. The company switches the setting to presence, replaces the radius with a list of municipalities and excludes the part on the other side of the river. After that, a click doesn't cost less, but less budget goes to people you can't help anyway.
Common mistakes
Leaving the default setting. Check for every campaign that you're targeting on presence.
A radius that's too big. A circle doesn't take rivers, traffic jams or provincial borders into account. Towns or postcodes are often more precise.
Not excluding. If there's an area within your radius where you don't want to work, exclude it.
Not checking. Regularly look in the location report to see where clicks and enquiries come from.
How to approach it
First draw on a map where you really want to work, and where the jobs are most profitable. Set up that area with towns or postcodes and choose presence. Exclude areas you don't want.
You can give areas with a higher value, such as towns close to your premises, a higher bid. Also ask for the postcode in your form, so you can see afterwards whether your targeting is right. Combine this with negative keywords for place names outside your area.
Frequently asked questions
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What is the difference between presence and interest in Google Ads?
With presence, you only show ads to people who are in your area or are there regularly. With interest, also to people who are searching for your area while they're somewhere else. For most trade businesses, presence is the best choice.
Is it better to choose a radius or individual towns?
A radius is quick to set up, but doesn't take rivers, traffic jams or borders into account. Individual towns or postcodes are more precise. Many trade businesses start with a radius and switch to towns once they see where the jobs come from.
How do I know whether my service area is set up properly?
Look in the Google Ads location report to see where your clicks and conversions come from. Also ask for the postcode in your form. If many enquiries come from outside your area, something is set too wide.
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