Local PPC Strategy: 8 Tactics To Grow Local Conversions

A solid local PPC strategy is crucial for any business looking to reach nearby customers and drive foot traffic and sales. Effective local business PPC management means using localized PPC tactics to target the right audience at the right place and time.

In fact, nearly 46% of all Google searches have local intent, and Google Ads (with ~91% search market share) is the primary platform to capture this demand.

From restaurants and retailers to healthcare providers and real estate firms, local PPC management can help all types of businesses appear in front of local prospects when it matters most.

Below, we outline 8 advanced local PPC tactics (focused on Google Ads) that will grow your local conversions while following people-first marketing principles and E-E-A-T guidelines. Each tactic is presented with clear steps and tips, in short, easy-to-read paragraphs, to help you optimize your campaigns for maximum local impact.

1. Leverage Precision Geo-Targeting in Local PPC Campaigns

Target Specific Locations

Precise geo-targeting is the cornerstone of any successful localized PPC campaign. By narrowing your Google Ads targeting to specific locations (cities, ZIP codes, or a radius around your business), you ensure your ads only reach people in your service area.

This focus eliminates wasteful spend on irrelevant clicks and boosts conversion rates dramatically. Research shows that PPC campaigns with precise location targeting see significantly higher performance – 89% of marketers observed higher sales after implementing location-based strategies.

Moreover, 80% of users prefer ads tailored to their city or ZIP code, meaning people are more likely to engage with ads that feel locally relevant.

Geo-Targeting Best Practices

Start by defining your target radius or area based on your business type and customer behavior. For example, an urban cafe might target a 2-mile radius, whereas a suburban service provider might cover 10+ miles.

One guide suggests urban retail businesses target ~1–3 miles (with ~10–15% bid boosts in that zone), while suburban services might target 5–10 miles (with ~5–10% bid boosts).

The idea is to bid more aggressively where customers are most likely to convert (closer to your location) and exclude or bid down in areas outside your reach. Key steps to implement precise geo-targeting include:

Set Location Targets: In your Google Ads campaign settings, specify the city names, ZIP codes, or radius around your store to focus on. Be granular – target neighborhoods or districts known to have high customer density.
Exclude Irrelevant Areas: Add negative locations or use exclusion zones for regions you don’t serve (or that consistently show poor performance). This keeps your local PPC strategy efficient by avoiding wasted clicks from outside your market.
Use Geo-Analytics: Leverage Google Ads location reports or analytics to identify hotspots for conversions. Allocate more budget to high-performing local areas and consider pausing or excluding low-performing ones.

Continually refine your geographic focus based on real data – continuous monitoring and adjustment are key to effective local PPC management.

By deploying precise geo-targeting, your local PPC strategy concentrates spend where it matters most, improving ROI. You’ll reach nearby customers actively looking for your products or services, leading to higher local conversion rates and less budget “hemorrhaging” on distant, unprofitable clicks.

2. Use Location Extensions and Google Business Profile Integration

Boost Visibility with Location Extensions

To enhance your local PPC management, take full advantage of Google Ads location extensions. This ad extension displays your business address, a map pin, distance to the user, and phone number directly in your search ads.

It effectively ties your ad to a physical location, which dramatically increases ad visibility and credibility for local searchers. Google prioritizes relevant local info – about 80% of ad impressions can include location extensions if set up, according to industry findings.

The payoff is big: ads with location extensions see much higher engagement. In fact, adding location extensions can boost click-through rate (CTR) by up to 25% because your ad becomes larger and more relevant. Higher CTR means more traffic and ultimately more conversions for your local business.

Integrate Google Business Profile (GBP)

Enabling location extensions requires linking your Google Ads with your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business). This integration is vital for localized PPC success – it allows your ads to pull in your verified business information.

Once linked, your ads can show in Google Maps results and local Finder as promoted pins, giving you prime exposure to nearby searchers. For example, a user searching on Maps for “coffee shop near me” might see your promoted listing at the top if you have an active local ad.

This translates into more store visits: Google Ads location extensions often lead to increased foot traffic and in-person conversions.

How to Set Up: In Google Ads, go to Ads & Extensions → Extensions and add a Location Extension. Link your ad account to your GBP (or select your business listing if it appears).

Ensure your GBP details (name, address, phone) are accurate and complete, since those will display. Google Ads will start showing the extension automatically for users near your location or searching locally.
Local Actions Tracking: When using location extensions, Google Ads also enables tracking of “Local actions” conversions. These include actions like clicks for driving directions, clicks to call, and store visits.

While these may not count in the default conversion column, they are invaluable for measuring offline impact. Set up a custom column or review the “All conversions” metric to monitor these local engagement conversions.

For example, you might discover that many users click “Call” on your ad directly (bypassing your website), which indicates your local PPC strategy is effectively generating phone leads.
Maximize Extension Use: Alongside standard location extensions, consider Affiliate Location Extensions if you are a brand sold in retail stores (to show nearby retailers carrying your product).

Also, combine location extensions with call extensions and sitelinks for a powerful ad unit that covers all customer touchpoints (map, phone, website links). Google Ads will automatically show the appropriate extensions based on context – the more info you provide, the merrier.

By integrating your Google Business Profile with Google Ads and using location extensions, your local PPC ads become far more visible and useful to customers. You’ll occupy more screen space (often appearing in the local 3-pack area or on Maps), gain trust with your address displayed, and make it effortless for nearby consumers to find or contact you.

This tactic is fundamental in local business PPC management, as it bridges online ads with real-world customer actions. (Bonus tip: Don’t forget to keep your GBP updated – businesses with complete profiles are 70% more likely to attract location visits from ads and search.)

3. Craft Localized PPC Ads and Keyword Targeting

Use Local Keywords and “Near Me” Phrases

To grow local conversions, your keywords and ad copy must align with the way people search locally. A key local PPC strategy is to bid on location-specific keywords and common local phrases. This includes adding your city, neighborhood names, or region to keywords (e.g. “plumber in Dallas” or “best sushi Manhattan”).

Critically, include “near me” variations in your keyword list and ads – searches like “restaurants near me” or “car repair near me” are extremely popular for local intent. These queries have exploded in volume; Google reports that “near me” searches on mobile grew over 250% in just a couple of years and hit peak popularity around 2021.

In other words, users increasingly append “near me” to find immediate solutions, and you want your ads to show up for those terms. Bidding on long-tail local keywords (e.g. “24/7 locksmith near me in Denver”) can also yield higher-quality leads despite slightly higher costs, because the intent to transact is strong.

Tailor Ad Copy to Local Audiences

Localized PPC isn’t just about keywords – it’s about resonating with the local audience through your ad messaging. Write an ad copy that highlights local relevancy: for instance, mention your city or service area in the headline (“Trusted Dentist in Austin”) to immediately signal to searchers that you serve their area.

You can even use Dynamic Location Insertion or ad customizers to automatically insert the user’s city in the ad title, making the ad feel personal (advanced technique for multi-location campaigns).

Also, incorporate local landmarks or vernacular if appropriate (e.g., “Serving the Greater Bay Area” or a tagline like “Proudly serving South Boston for 20 years”).

According to experts, understanding local lingo, events, and sentiments can set your ads apart: “Ads are tailored not just to what people search, but how they live in that area. It’s a game of relevance and connection.” This local touch builds trust and clicks.

Include Location in Display URL: A simple trick is to put your city name in the display URL path of the ad (e.g., www.yoursite.com/Dallas/Offers). It reinforces local relevance at a glance.
Emphasize Local USPs: Use the description to mention what makes you the best choice for local customers. For example: “Family-owned [City] business”, “Free delivery within [X] miles”, or “Serving [City] since 2005”.

These points not only add E-E-A-T by showcasing your experience in the area, but also differentiate you from generic competitors.
Capitalize on “Near Me” in Ads: If you bid on “near me” keywords, reflect that language in your ad copy too. Phrases like “Find [Product] near you” or “Your go-to [Service] near [City]” match the user’s mindset and can improve ad relevance.

Google’s algorithm understands location intent, so combining these terms with a strong offer (e.g. “available now” or “quick 10 min drive”) can boost your Quality Score and conversion likelihood.

Remember, local PPC management for advanced advertisers means speaking the customer’s language – literally and figuratively. By using locally targeted keywords and crafting ad text that feels “close to home,” you reassure searchers that you’re a part of their community and ready to serve them.

This tactical localization of keywords and ads will improve your click-throughs and ensure that once people click, they already feel connected to your business.

After all, “near me” searchers often convert at higher rates because they’re looking for immediate local solutions, so meeting them with relevant, localized ads is a sure path to more conversions.

4. Optimize Ad Scheduling for Local Peak Times

Advertise at the Right Times

When managing a local PPC strategy, when your ads show can be just as important as where. Local consumer behavior often follows patterns – for example, restaurants get more searches around meal times, retail stores might see spikes on weekends, and service businesses may get most leads during business hours.

Ad scheduling (dayparting) allows you to show ads only during specific days or hours, or to bid higher at peak times. Ignoring this feature can waste the budget: “Not all hours or days yield the same performance… running your ads when your target audience is less active can lead to inefficiencies.”

In other words, a blanket 24/7 schedule might burn money at 2 AM when no one is likely to convert, especially for a local business that isn’t open then. Advanced local PPC management involves analyzing your conversion data by time and focusing spend during the most impactful windows.

Ad Scheduling Best Practices

Begin by reviewing your historical data (in Google Ads or Analytics) to identify when conversions or valuable clicks occur most.

For example, you might find that 8am-6pm on weekdays drives 90% of your form submissions or calls, or that Saturday afternoons see a surge in store visit clicks. Use these insights to create a custom ad schedule:

Focus on Business Hours: A common approach is to run search ads only during your business hours or slightly beyond.

This ensures someone is available to handle inquiries (calls, chats) and customers see ads when they can immediately act (like visit your store). For instance, a local clinic might schedule ads from 7am to 7pm when appointments can be made.
Bid Higher During Peak Periods: If you don’t want to fully turn off ads in off-hours, you can set ad schedule bid adjustments instead. For example, +25% bid on weekday lunch hours if you know that’s prime converting time, and maybe -50% at late night.

Google Ads allows granular hour-by-hour adjustments for each day. By increasing bids during high-conversion periods, you improve ad rank when it matters most and conserve budget during lulls.
Account for Time Zones & Commutes: If your campaigns target multiple cities or if customers tend to search on the go (like “coffee near me” during morning commutes), align your schedule accordingly.

You might run early morning ads targeting downtown areas for commuters, or extend hours on weekends if people search later at night for entertainment-related businesses. For multi-location businesses, ensure each campaign’s schedule is set in the correct time zone for that market.

Regularly revisit your ad schedule performance. Advanced practitioners often A/B test different schedules (for example, running 24/7 for a week vs. business-hours-only the next) to compare results. The goal is to allocate every PPC dollar to when local users are most likely to convert.

Over time, you’ll fine-tune a schedule that maximizes leads and sales while minimizing spend on off-peak clicks. This tactic keeps your local PPC strategy efficient and laser-targeted not just on the who and where, but also on the when – an often overlooked dimension of optimization.

5. Embrace Mobile Optimization and Click-to-Call Features

Cater to Mobile Local Searchers

In local search, mobile is king. A huge portion of local “near me” searches and on-the-go queries happen on smartphones. In fact, over 60% of all internet traffic now comes from mobile devices, and 69% of Google Ads clicks in the US were on mobile devices by 2019 – a number that has likely grown even further.

When someone is out and about searching for a local business, they’re probably using their phone and ready to act quickly. Therefore, a critical localized PPC tactic is ensuring your ads and website are fully optimized for mobile users, and leveraging mobile-specific features like click-to-call.

Mobile optimization extends from your ad copy to your landing page: everything should load fast, display clearly on a small screen, and facilitate immediate action.

Utilize Call Extensions and Call-Only Ads

For many local businesses, a phone call is as valuable as an online conversion (if not more). Call extensions in Google Ads allow you to show a phone number or a tappable “Call” button on mobile search ads, so users can dial you with one click.

This is incredibly effective for service businesses, restaurants for reservations, doctors’ offices, etc., where customers often prefer to call directly. Enabling call extensions (and setting them to show only when your business can take calls) can significantly boost your local PPC campaign performance – it removes friction and captures high-intent leads instantly.

Many advertisers observe that more users will call from the ad directly via the call extension than navigate through the website. You can even run Call-Only campaigns, where the ad itself is a phone call trigger (useful if your primary goal is to drive phone inquiries).

Mobile-Friendly Landing Pages: If the user does click through to your site, make sure the landing page is mobile-responsive, quick-loading, and easy to navigate.

Use large, thumb-friendly buttons and prominently display key info (like your phone number, address, or an “Get Directions” link). A good practice is to have a sticky call-to-action on mobile pages (e.g., a “Call Now” or “Book Appointment” button always visible).

Google prioritizes mobile page experience in quality scores, so improving page speed and mobile UX can improve your ad rank too.
Leverage Location and Maps on Mobile: Many mobile searches for local businesses have an implicit urgency (the user might be looking for somewhere to go right now). If applicable, use Google Maps ads (which come from your location extension setup) to capture those.

Also consider using Google’s local search ads format which highlights your location on the map within mobile search results. These features ensure that when a user is nearby, your ad is one of the first things they see, with easy options to call or navigate.
Track Mobile Performance: In your local PPC management routine, monitor device breakdown of performance. Google Ads allows you to see how many conversions or clicks come from mobile vs desktop.

If mobile is driving the bulk of your traffic (which is common in local PPC), you might even use device bid adjustments to prioritize it (e.g., +20% bid on mobile devices, -20% on desktop if you find mobile converts better for your business).

By prioritizing mobile users – through fast, mobile-optimized content and convenient click-to-call functionality – you capture the true intent of local searchers.

Someone searching “[Product] near me” on a phone likely wants to find and contact a business immediately. If your local PPC strategy makes that easy, you’ll convert those mobile searchers into customers at a high rate.

6. Create Localized Landing Pages for Your Ads

Align Ads with Local Landing Pages

Getting a click on your ad is only half the battle – to turn that click into a conversion, you need a relevant and persuasive landing page. For local campaigns, it’s important that your landing pages are localized just like your ads.

When a user clicks an ad that mentions their city or a specific offer, they should be taken to a page that continues that local narrative. Consistency builds trust and improves conversion rates. In practice, this means if you serve multiple locations, create a unique landing page for each city or store location you’re targeting.

For example, a national service company running ads in Miami and Dallas should have separate pages for Miami and Dallas visitors, each with the city name in the heading, local contact info, and content tailored to that locale.

Even for a single-location business, you can optimize your landing page by highlighting local elements (address, neighborhood, local customer testimonials, etc.). This local PPC strategy ensures a seamless user experience from ad to conversion.

Key Elements of a Local Landing Page

A well-optimized local landing page will make the visitor feel “This business is truly in my area and ready to serve me.” To achieve this, incorporate the following elements (as recommended by experts):

Local Headline and Keywords: Use the city or region name in your H1 or prominent headline (e.g., “#1 Electrician in Phoenix”).

Sprinkle local keywords in your copy naturally, which also helps your Quality Score. For instance, reference the service area: “Proudly serving customers across Orange County” – this reassures visitors they’re in the right place.
Address, Map & Directions: Clearly list your business address on the page and consider embedding a Google Map showing your location.

This not only aids the user (they might want to see how far you are) but also reinforces locality. A “Get Directions” link or map pin can prompt an in-person visit, boosting offline conversions.
Local Social Proof: Include reviews or testimonials from customers in the same city/area. For example, a quote like “‘Best plumbing service here in Dallas! Fixed my issue in an hour.’ – John, Dallas TX” can be very compelling to a Dallas site visitor.

Seeing praise from locals builds immediate trust (this ties into E-E-A-T by showcasing real experiences). If applicable, mention local awards or memberships (“Voted top salon in Seattle 2023”).
Community-Specific Offers: If you run promotions specific to a location or local event (say a discount during a city festival or a neighborhood sale), highlight that on the landing page.

It creates a sense of urgency and exclusivity for local customers. Additionally, referencing local events or landmarks (“Just 5 minutes from Union Square”) can deepen the local connection.

Keep the landing page design clean and conversion-focused. Prominently feature the call-to-action (CTA) – whether it’s a contact form, “Call Now” button, or “Book Appointment” link – and make sure it’s easy to complete on both desktop and mobile.

Since we’re catering to local users, consider adding an option like “Call us” or “Visit us today at [Address]” alongside the usual web form, giving people multiple ways to convert.

Always test your landing pages: try A/B testing different local headlines or images (perhaps a photo of your storefront or team in front of a local landmark vs. a generic image) to see which resonates more.

In summary, landing page localization is a tactic that advanced marketers use to significantly improve local PPC conversion rates. It’s the on-site extension of your local PPC strategy – where your ad sets the expectation and the landing page delivers on it.

When a visitor feels “this business is truly local and understands my needs,” they are far more likely to trust you and take the next step, whether that’s submitting a lead form, calling, or walking into your store.

By aligning your landing pages tightly with your ads and local audience expectations, you create a smooth journey that turns clicks into customers.

7. Apply Smart Bidding and Location-Based Bid Adjustments

Optimize Bids for Local Performance

Bidding strategy plays a crucial role in any PPC campaign, and it’s especially true for local campaigns where performance can vary widely by location and time.

To get the most conversions for your budget, incorporate location-based bidding into your local PPC management plan. This involves analyzing which geographic areas, or even which radii from your store, yield the best return and adjusting your bids accordingly.

For example, you might find that people within 5 miles of your shop convert 2x more often than those 15 miles away – you can then raise bids for the 0–5 mile range to win more of those valuable clicks, and lower bids for the 15+ mile range to reduce spend on less profitable traffic.

Google Ads makes this easy through Location bid adjustments at the campaign or ad group level. Neglecting to customize bids by location is a missed opportunity: one study notes that failing to adjust bids for high-value locations is a common oversight – increasing bids where you historically see more business can directly boost results.

Smart Bidding with Local Signals

In addition to manual bid adjustments, consider leveraging Google’s Smart Bidding strategies (like Target CPA or Target ROAS) which automatically factor in a variety of signals, including location and device, to optimize bids for each auction.

Smart Bidding algorithms can detect if certain locations or times have higher likelihood of conversion and will bid higher in those contexts (and lower when probability is low), essentially doing the heavy lifting for you.

If you have conversion tracking set up properly (including tracking of store visits or phone call conversions as discussed), Smart Bidding can even optimize for those offline actions.

For instance, if Google’s data learns that users in ZIP code 12345 who see your ad are very likely to visit your store, it will increase bids for searches coming from that ZIP code during the hours those users are active. This level of real-time granularity is hard to beat manually.

That said, advanced marketers often use a hybrid approach: employ Smart Bidding for efficiency, but also layer in explicit location targets/exclusions and bid modifiers where you have specific knowledge (e.g., you know a competitor closed their store in a nearby town, so demand there might surge – you could manually boost bids temporarily).

Tips for bidding optimization in local PPC:

Analyze Geo Performance: Regularly check the “User location” report in Google Ads (or Google Analytics geo reports if you import cost data). Identify locations with above-average conversion rates or ROI and those with below-average.

You might find, for example, that neighboring towns perform very differently. Use this data to set +x% or -y% bid adjustments. This ensures your budget is weighted toward the best-performing areas.
Budget Allocation by Location: If you operate in multiple cities and have separate campaigns, allocate your overall budget in proportion to each location’s performance potential.

If your downtown campaign is hitting its budget cap early and has a lower cost-per-conversion than your suburban campaign, consider shifting more budget to downtown. Local PPC management is often about balancing budgets across regions for optimal results.
Seasonality and Events: Be ready to adjust bids for local seasonal trends or events. For example, if you know tourism picks up in your city in summer, increasing bids during those months can capture more of that transient local traffic.

Or if a big event (festival, conference, sports game) is happening near your business, a temporary bid boost around that event’s dates/radius can help you capitalize on the influx of nearby searches.
Use the “Distance” Report: Google Ads provides a distance report (when using location extensions) that shows performance by how far the user was from your business when they searched (e.g., 0-5 miles, 5-10 miles, etc.).

This is a goldmine for fine-tuning radius bid adjustments. You might discover that conversion rate drops off sharply beyond 10 miles, for instance, which informs you to bid aggressively within 10 miles and maybe not at all beyond 20 miles.

As one expert noted, this report can guide what radius to target more precisely around your location.

By continuously refining your bidding strategy with local data, you ensure that your local PPC strategy is cost-efficient and competitive. You’ll win more auctions in the areas and times that count, and spend less where conversion chances are slim.

Whether through manual bid mods or smart automated bidding, the goal is the same: maximize local conversions for each dollar spent. Advanced PPC professionals treat bidding as a dynamic, always-optimizing element – much like tuning an engine for peak performance.

With the right bid strategy in place, your ads will outrank competitors in your key local markets and drive more valuable traffic to your business.

8. Monitor, Test, and Refine Your Local PPC Strategy Continually

Continuous Optimization

The work doesn’t stop once your local campaigns are up and running – ongoing monitoring and optimization is what elevates your results from good to great.

Advanced local business PPC management requires a proactive approach to analyzing performance data, testing new ideas, and refining campaigns to keep improving your conversion rates and ROI.

This is aligned with the E-E-A-T principle of demonstrating expertise and trustworthiness: by constantly fine-tuning your campaigns based on data, you show that you’re knowledgeable and care about providing relevant, high-quality ads to users.

Regularly review key PPC metrics (CTR, conversion rate, cost per conversion, Quality Score, etc.) broken down by location, time, device, and audience.

Look for trends and outliers – for example, is one city lagging behind others in performance? Did conversion rates jump after adding a new keyword or ad copy? These insights guide your next steps.

A/B Testing and Experimentation

Employ structured testing to optimize elements of your campaigns. For instance, run A/B tests on ad copy – create two versions of your ad (perhaps one emphasizing a local USP like “#1 in [City]” vs. another emphasizing a generic promo) and see which yields a higher CTR or conversion rate.

Similarly, test different landing page variations: maybe one with a video tour of your local store versus one with static images, or different CTAs (“Book Now” vs “Contact Us”). Over time, these tests reveal what resonates best with your local audience.

Remember to test only one major element at a time for clear results, and run the test for sufficient time to gather statistically significant data. Embracing a culture of testing ensures your localized PPC campaigns don’t stagnate and keeps performance climbing.

Refine Keywords Continuously: Local search behavior can change, and new trending queries can emerge (“open now near me” might surge in popularity, for example).

Continuously expand your keyword list by looking at your search query reports for actual terms people used. You might discover new local phrases or missed long-tails to add.

At the same time, add negative keywords to filter out irrelevant traffic. Using negative keywords prevents wasteful clicks; it’s noted as a best practice for any PPC campaign.
Leverage Analytics & Conversion Tracking: Ensure you have proper tracking to measure all valuable actions. This includes setting up Google Analytics goals or importing offline conversions (such as store visits data or inbound call tracking records).

By capturing, for example, how many people clicked “Get Directions” or called via your ad, you get a fuller picture of campaign impact. Monitor these conversion metrics by location and by campaign.

If something isn’t performing – say one service category in a certain city isn’t yielding leads – you can investigate and adjust (maybe the bid is too low, or the landing page needs tweaking for that area). Data-driven decision making is the hallmark of expert local PPC management.
Keep an Eye on Competitors: Local markets can be competitive; watch what your competitors are doing in PPC. Tools and manual searches can help you see competitor ad copy, promotions, or new entrants in the ad auction.

If a rival is consistently outranking you in a critical local search, consider strategies like updating your ad (to have a more compelling offer), raising bids, or using auction insights to gauge their impact.

Also, if a competitor drops out, you might seize the opportunity to grab their market share with a higher impression share. Adapting to the competitive landscape ensures you maintain or improve your position over time.

Finally, regularly report on and review your results with your team or client (if you’re managing PPC for a local business).

Look at how the 8 tactics are contributing: has geo-targeting improved conversion rates in target areas? Are location extensions driving calls and store visits? Did the new landing pages reduce bounce rate and increase lead form submissions?

By tying the optimizations to tangible outcomes, you can validate the efficacy of your local PPC strategy and make informed decisions about budget and strategy moving forward. Continuous improvement is an endless loop in PPC – launch, measure, adjust, and repeat – but it’s what keeps your local conversions growing steadily.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What is a local PPC strategy?

A: A local PPC strategy is a pay-per-click advertising approach focused on reaching search users in specific geographic areas. It involves tactics like geo-targeting ads to certain cities or radius zones, using local keywords (including “near me” phrases), and leveraging features such as location extensions.

The goal is to make your ads highly relevant to local customers, thereby increasing the chances of conversion (whether it’s an online action or an in-store visit).

For example, a local PPC strategy for a restaurant would ensure that when someone nearby searches “restaurants open now”, the restaurant’s ad appears with its address and a “5 min away” indicator.

By concentrating on a local audience, businesses can get more qualified leads and avoid spending ad budgets on people who are too far away to convert. In short, it’s a localized PPC game plan to maximize visibility and conversions within your service area.

Q2. How is local PPC management different from regular PPC management?

A: Local PPC management involves all the usual aspects of PPC (keyword research, bidding, ad creation, etc.) but with an added layer of geographic specificity and offline integration.

In local campaigns, you must consider factors like user proximity, store hours, and physical foot traffic, which are less relevant in national PPC campaigns. Key differences include:

Geo-Targeting: Local PPC managers tightly geo-target campaigns to cities, ZIP codes or radii, whereas a national PPC might target an entire country. This requires careful setup and constant adjustment based on where conversions actually come from.
Ad Content: Local PPC ads often incorporate location names and localized messaging (“Your friendly [City] dentist”) to improve relevance. Regular PPC might not need that localization.
Use of Extensions: Location extensions, call extensions, and Google Business Profile linkage are crucial in local PPC management to drive store visits and calls. In a global campaign, those might not be used at all.
Conversion Tracking: A local PPC campaign tracks not just online conversions but also “local actions” like calls, direction clicks, and in-store visits that result from ads. This gives a more complete picture of ROI for a brick-and-mortar business.
Budget Allocation: Local PPC management might involve smaller budgets spread across multiple local campaigns (if managing ads for several store locations, for instance), requiring granular control.

There’s also often the need to allocate budget by region based on each location’s opportunities and performance, something a broad campaign doesn’t worry about.

In essence, local PPC management is a more hyper-focused, detail-oriented branch of PPC marketing, tailoring every element of the campaign to the local context.

It requires understanding the local customer base deeply and often synchronizing with offline business activities (like promoting a local event or sale). For advanced practitioners, it’s about integrating online ads with the local customer journey seamlessly.

Q3. What are localized PPC campaigns?

A: Localized PPC campaigns are PPC advertising campaigns that have been customized for specific local audiences or markets. “Localized” means they are adapted to include local language nuances, location-specific keywords, and relevant content for a particular area.

For example, a localized PPC campaign for a nationwide company might have separate ad groups or campaigns for each city they serve, each with ads mentioning that city and landing pages with local information.

The keywords might include the city name or neighborhood, and the ads might reference local landmarks or needs (like “Stay warm in Chicago winters – get your furnace serviced locally!”).

The benefit of localized campaigns is that they tend to have higher relevance to the searcher, which can lead to higher Quality Scores, better ad positions, and more conversions. Google’s system recognizes when an ad is very pertinent to a local query and will reward that.

Additionally, users are more likely to click and trust ads that feel local (studies show users prefer locally tailored ads, with engagement rates rising when ads mention familiar locations).

In summary, a localized PPC campaign is one that doesn’t take a one-size-fits-all approach, but rather speaks directly to the local audience’s context and intent.

Q4. How can I track conversions from my local PPC ads (like store visits or calls)?

A: Tracking conversions from local PPC ads involves a combination of Google Ads tools and sometimes third-party solutions:

Google Ads Conversion Tracking: For online actions (form submissions, purchases on your site), you’d set this up as usual with conversion codes or Google Analytics goals.

For local campaigns, key online conversions might also include clicks on a “Call” button or “Directions” button on your website – you can track those via event tracking in Analytics and import as conversions.
Call Tracking: Google Ads call extensions and call-only ads provide basic call tracking. When you use a call extension, Google can assign a Google forwarding number to measure how many calls your ad drove.

Enable call reporting in Google Ads, and you’ll see metrics like call length, area code, etc., and you can count phone calls over a certain duration as a conversion.

For more advanced call tracking (like recording calls or tracking calls that come via your website after an ad click), you might use third-party call tracking software that assigns dynamic numbers.

But for many local PPC needs, Google’s built-in call conversion tracking is sufficient to know your ad impact on calls.
Store Visit Conversions: Google Ads offers Store Visits tracking for eligible advertisers (usually those with multiple locations and sufficient ad click and location data).

This uses aggregated, anonymized data from users who have location history enabled to estimate how many people who clicked your ad later visited your store. If you qualify, you’ll see “Store visits” as a conversion action you can track in Google Ads.

While you can’t get individually identifiable info, it’s great for measuring foot traffic driven by ads. You need to have your Google Business Profile linked and a good amount of foot traffic data for this to populate.
Local Actions (Directions, Website visits from Maps): As mentioned, when using location extensions, Google Ads will automatically track local action conversions like clicks for driving directions, clicks to call on your business listing, etc., and show them in your account (under “All conversions” typically).

These are very useful to gauge how ads increase engagement with your Google Business Profile.
Coupon Codes or In-Store Metrics: As a more manual method, some businesses use unique coupon codes in ads (like “Mention this ad for 10% off”) to track how many in-store purchases came from seeing the ad.

Similarly, training your front desk or sales staff to ask “How did you hear about us?” can capture ad-driven customers. These aren’t as precise, but they add qualitative insight.

Overall, start with Google Ads’ own conversion tracking capabilities – set up call conversions and any lead forms as conversions. If applicable, enable store visit tracking.

Monitor the “distance” and “geographic” reports for proxy metrics (if lots of clicks are coming from nearby, that’s a good sign even if they convert offline). Advanced local PPC management often combines multiple data sources to paint a full picture of conversion, from online clicks to offline sales.

Q5. Should I use Google’s Local Services Ads (LSAs) in addition to regular local PPC?

A: Google Local Services Ads (LSAs) are a separate advertising program specifically for certain service-based industries (home services, real estate agents, lawyers, etc.).

They appear at the very top of Google search results with a “Google Screened/Guaranteed” badge. Whether you should use them in addition to your regular Google Ads campaigns depends on your business type and goals:

Eligibility: First, check if your industry and region are eligible for LSAs. If you’re a local contractor, locksmith, plumber, electrician, HVAC, house cleaner, mover (and a few others like lawyers or financial planners in some areas), LSAs are available.

For restaurants, retail, healthcare, etc., LSAs are not available, so this is moot – stick to regular PPC.
Advantages of LSAs: They operate on a pay-per-lead basis (you pay for calls or messages, not clicks) and can be very cost-effective. They also build trust because of the Google Guarantee badge (after you pass background checks and license verification).

LSAs often appear above all other ads, so they can capture a lot of attention. If you’re in an eligible field, running LSAs can complement your search ads by giving you extra coverage on the page and capturing users who prefer the LSAs format.
Managing Both: If you do use LSAs, manage them alongside your PPC but note they have a separate platform/interface. You’d set a weekly budget for LSAs and can pause or activate them as needed.

It’s often worth trying since it can bring in leads at a fixed cost per lead. That said, competition in LSAs can be high in some markets, and not every click turns into a qualified lead, so monitor your return.
No Conflict with PPC: Running LSAs does not negatively impact your regular localized PPC campaigns – they target a different section of the results.

In fact, having both means your business could appear twice (in the LSA unit and in the standard text ads below) for the same search, dominating the page.

For advanced marketers in applicable industries, LSAs are another tool in the toolkit to grow local conversions. Ensure you track the performance (the Google Local Services dashboard provides insights on leads).

If you find the cost per lead favorable and the lead quality good, it makes sense to continue. If not, you can focus efforts on traditional PPC. Always remember to maintain your Google reviews and ratings, as LSAs heavily display those – better reputation can lead to better ad rankings in LSA.

Conclusion

Implementing these 8 tactics will elevate your local PPC campaigns to new heights. In summary, you should focus your ads geographically, use every local-focused feature Google Ads offers (like location extensions and call extensions), craft ads and landing pages that speak to the local customer, and continuously optimize based on data.

Such a comprehensive local PPC strategy is people-first – it aims to provide searchers with the most relevant, locally tailored information – and aligns with search engine best practices for relevance and quality.

Whether you manage PPC for a single-location small business or oversee local campaigns for a multi-location enterprise, these tactics are adaptable to your needs.

Effective local business PPC management is an ongoing process, but the reward is clear: more qualified local traffic, higher conversion rates, and ultimately more customers walking through your door.

By keeping your approach up-to-date with industry trends (for example, recognizing surges in “near me” searches or new Google Ads features) and always putting the consumer’s experience first, you can ensure your local PPC efforts drive sustainable growth. Now, use these strategies to refine your campaigns – and watch your localized PPC conversions soar!