Google Ads for Local Businesses

Defining Your Service Area

Before launching any campaign, define your actual service area:

Business Type	Typical Service Area
Restaurant/Cafe	5-10 mile radius
Retail Store	10-15 mile radius
Professional Services	City/metro area
Home Services	25-50 mile radius
Emergency Services	15-30 mile radius

Key Questions:

• How far do customers actually travel to reach you?
• Where do your best customers come from?
• Are there geographic barriers (rivers, highways, borders)?

Location Targeting Options

Option 1: Radius Targeting

Draw a circle around your business location:

• 5 miles: High-frequency businesses (cafes, convenience)
• 10 miles: Regular visits (restaurants, retail)
• 15-25 miles: Considered purchases (professional services)
• 25-50 miles: Specialty/destination businesses

Option 2: Location Lists

Target specific cities, postcodes, or regions for more precise control.

Option 3: Hybrid Approach

Combine radius + specific locations for complex service areas.

Critical Setting: People In vs. Interested In

Option	What It Means	When to Use
People in or regularly in	Only people physically in your area	Most local businesses
People in or interested in	People in area OR searching about area	Tourism, moving services

Default is "interested in"—change this for most local businesses!

The Local Keyword Framework

Category 1: "[Service] Near Me" Keywords

Keyword Structure	Examples
[service] near me	"dentist near me", "plumber near me"
[service] nearby	"restaurants nearby", "gym nearby"
[service] close to me	"coffee shop close to me"

Volume: Very High | Intent: Very High | Competition: Medium-High

Category 2: "[Service] + [Location]" Keywords

Keyword Structure	Examples
[service] [city]	"accountant London", "hair salon Manchester"
[city] [service]	"Leeds restaurant", "Bristol dentist"
[service] [postcode]	"plumber SW1", "electrician EC2"

Category 3: Emergency/Urgent Keywords

Keyword Structure	Examples
emergency [service]	"emergency plumber", "emergency locksmith"
24 hour [service]	"24 hour vet", "24 hour mechanic"
same day [service]	"same day dry cleaning"

Volume: Lower | Intent: Extremely High | Value: High

Building Your Local Keyword List

1. Core Services: List all services you offer
2. Add Location Modifiers: [service] + [city], [service] + [suburb], [service] + near me
3. Add Intent Modifiers: best [service], affordable [service], emergency [service]
4. Problem Keywords: [problem] + [location] (e.g., "blocked drain London")

Match Type for Local

Keyword Type	Recommended Match
High-value service terms	Exact match
"Near me" terms	Exact match
Location + service	Exact or Phrase match

Why Tighter Match: Local budgets are limited—every click needs to count.

Why GBP Matters for Ads

Your Google Business Profile directly impacts ad performance:

Impact	How
Location extensions	Show address with ads
Call extensions	Click-to-call from listing
Map visibility	Appear in local pack
Reviews	Build trust in ads
Business hours	Show when you're open

Connecting GBP to Google Ads

1. Claim and verify your Google Business Profile
2. Link to Google Ads (Tools → Linked accounts → Google Business Profile)
3. Enable Location Assets in campaign settings

Optimizing GBP for Ads

Element	Optimization
Business name	Include keyword if legitimate
Categories	Select all relevant categories
Photos	High-quality, recent, relevant
Reviews	Request from happy customers
Posts	Regular updates
Q&A	Answer common questions
Hours	Keep accurate, especially holidays

LSAs vs. Standard Google Ads

Local Service Ads:

• Pay per lead (not per click)
• Appear above standard search ads
• Google Guaranteed badge
• Limited to specific service categories

Standard Google Ads:

• Pay per click
• More control over targeting
• Available for any business
• More ad format options

When to Use Each

Choose LSAs If	Choose Standard Ads If
Eligible service category	Not eligible for LSAs
Want pay-per-lead model	Need more control
Can pass Google screening	Quick launch needed
Phone calls preferred	Website traffic priority

Best Approach: Run both when possible. They show in different positions.

LSA-Eligible Categories

Currently eligible categories include: Plumbers, Electricians, HVAC, Locksmiths, Roofers, Cleaners, Lawyers, Financial planners, and many more. Check Google's current list for your service.

LSA Optimization

Factor	How to Optimize
Google Guaranteed	Complete screening process
Reviews	More reviews = better ranking
Responsiveness	Answer calls quickly
Service areas	Define precisely
Hours	Accurate availability

Phone Call Tracking Setup

Option 1: Call Extensions

Setting	Recommendation
Phone number	Primary business line
Call reporting	Enabled
Minimum duration	60 seconds
Count as conversion	Yes

Option 2: Call-Only Ads

• Entire ad designed for calls
• No website click option
• Shows phone number prominently
• Best for emergency services

Option 3: Website Call Tracking

• Track calls from your website
• Dynamic number insertion
• Connects ad click to call

Store Visit Tracking

For physical locations, Google can track store visits:

Requirements:

• Linked Google Business Profile
• Sufficient ad traffic
• Location with foot traffic
• Multiple store visits to measure

Conversion Values for Local

Conversion	Type	Suggested Value
Phone call (60+ sec)	Primary	$50-100
Form submission	Primary	$30-50
Direction clicks	Secondary	$10-20
Store visit	Secondary	$20-50

Location in Headlines

Include location in ads to increase relevance, build local trust, and pre-qualify clicks:

Generic	Local-Focused
"Fast Plumbing Service"	"Fast Plumbing Service in Leeds"
"Expert Accountants"	"Leeds Accountants Since 1995"
"Best Italian Restaurant"	"Authentic Italian in Soho"

Trust Signals for Local

Trust Signal	Example in Ad
Years in business	"Serving Manchester Since 1990"
Local focus	"Your Neighbourhood Electrician"
Reviews	"500+ 5-Star Reviews"
Guarantees	"100% Satisfaction Guaranteed"
Response time	"Same Day Service Available"

Responsive Search Ad Structure

Headlines (15 options):

• 3-4 with location name
• 2-3 with "near me" relevance
• 3-4 with key benefits
• 2-3 with trust signals
• 2-3 with call to action

Pin Strategy:

• Pin location headline to Position 1
• Pin CTA to Position 2 or 3

Ad Extensions for Local

Extension	Purpose	Example
Location	Show address	123 High Street, London
Call	Click to call	020 1234 5678
Sitelinks	Other pages	Menu, Directions, Hours
Callouts	Benefits	Free Parking, Open Sundays

Calculating Local Budget

Start with your goals:

Question	Example Answer
How many customers/month do you want?	20
What's average customer value?	$500
What can you afford per customer?	$50
What's typical conversion rate?	5%
What's typical CPC?	$2.50

Budget Calculation:

20 customers ÷ 5% conversion = 400 clicks needed

400 clicks × $2.50 CPC = $1,000/month budget

Budget Allocation

For Single Location:

Campaign	% of Budget
Core services (Search)	60-70%
Brand terms	10-15%
Remarketing	15-20%
Testing	5-10%

Small Budget Optimization

If budget is under $500/month:

Strategy	Implementation
Narrow targeting	Tightest radius possible
Top services only	Best-performing services
Exact match	Minimize waste
Peak hours	Ad scheduling
Call focus	Calls over website clicks

Campaign Structure Options

Option 1: Single Campaign, Location Bid Adjustments

• One campaign for all locations
• Adjust bids by location performance
• Simplest to manage
• Best for: 2-5 similar locations

Option 2: Separate Campaigns Per Location

• Individual campaign for each location
• Complete control over budget allocation
• More management effort
• Best for: Different market sizes, varying competition

Option 3: Hybrid Approach

• Group similar locations in campaigns
• Separate campaigns for major markets
• Balance control and efficiency
• Best for: 5+ locations with variation

Naming Convention for Multi-Location

[Brand] - [Location] - [Campaign Type] - [Target]

Examples:

• AcmePlumbing - London - Search - Emergency
• AcmePlumbing - Manchester - Search - Core Services
• AcmePlumbing - AllLocations - Brand

Performance Comparison Across Locations

Metrics to Compare:

• CPC by location
• Conversion rate by location
• Cost per conversion by location
• Impression share by location

Rebalancing Budget:

• Monthly review of location performance
• Shift budget to top performers
• Investigate underperformers before cutting

Ad Scheduling for Local

Business Type	Recommended Schedule
Restaurant	Meal times + 1 hour before
Professional services	Business hours
Emergency services	24/7
Retail	Store hours + 1 hour

Setting Up Ad Schedules:

1. Campaign settings → Ad schedule
2. Set hours and days
3. Consider bid adjustments for peak times

Seasonal Adjustments

Season	Adjustments
Summer	HVAC cooling, outdoor dining, landscaping
Winter	HVAC heating, snow removal, indoor activities
Holidays	Gift shopping, catering, travel
Back to school	Education, supplies, services

Implementation:

• Adjust budgets seasonally
• Update ad copy for season
• Pause irrelevant services

Day-of-Week Patterns

Day Type	Typical Pattern
Monday	Back to business, high B2B
Midweek	Steady performance
Friday	Planning for weekend
Weekend	Consumer services peak

Action: Review day-of-week data in reports, adjust bids accordingly.

Local Campaign Launch Checklist

Pre-Launch:

• ☐ Define service area (radius or locations)
• ☐ Set up Google Business Profile
• ☐ Link GBP to Google Ads
• ☐ Configure call tracking
• ☐ Set up form conversion tracking
• ☐ Build landing page with local focus

Keyword Setup:

• ☐ List core services
• ☐ Add location modifiers
• ☐ Add intent modifiers (near me, best, etc.)
• ☐ Format as exact match
• ☐ Create negative keyword list
• ☐ Include other cities/areas you don't serve

Campaign Configuration:

• ☐ Set geographic targeting (people IN location)
• ☐ Configure ad schedule
• ☐ Enable location extensions
• ☐ Enable call extensions
• ☐ Set bidding strategy (Maximize Conversions)
• ☐ Set daily budget

Weekly Optimization Checklist

• ☐ Review search terms for local relevance
• ☐ Add negative keywords (other locations, etc.)
• ☐ Check call conversion data
• ☐ Review geographic performance
• ☐ Assess ad schedule performance
• ☐ Monitor competitor activity
• ☐ Respond to GBP reviews

Monthly Review Checklist

• ☐ Compare month-over-month performance
• ☐ Analyze conversion by location
• ☐ Review and update ad copy
• ☐ Assess bid strategy performance
• ☐ Evaluate budget allocation
• ☐ Plan seasonal adjustments
• ☐ Update GBP with new photos/posts