Google has rolled out a new location targeting option that allows advertisers to target people regularly in your targeted locations, not just people currently in your targeted location.  

For example, if you live in Manly, work in the CBD and commute regularly to Forestville to visit your parents, Google can now show you ads targeting people in all three of those locations, rather than just the location you’re currently in.

So if you search for something like “lighting store” while at home in Manly, you’ll be eligible to see lighting stores in Sydney and Forestville as well, because Google knows you regularly go to those places and may prefer one of the options there.

Before this change, even if you searched “lighting store Forestville” you wouldn’t be shown ads for Forestville unless you were there at the time. Your physical location needed to be inside the target location at the time of searching in order to see those ads.

Why Should You Care?

As advertisers this gives you more location targeting range, which is likely to help some businesses by expanding your audience to include people who regularly visit your area (not just those who are there currently) and thus may attract leads you wouldn’t otherwise have got.  

On the flip side, it’s also worth noting that your ads will be competing against more businesses now, and your customers may be comparing you to similar businesses in other parts of town.

As always, there will be winners and losers as a result of this change, so keep an eye out and adjust your strategy accordingly.