Local PPC: 10+ Tips to Rock It!

Running a local PPC ad campaign in your town or neighborhood is a bit different than running a PPC ad campaign nationwide or globally.

First of all, with a smaller budget to spend on your local PPC ad campaign, you also have to face competition from those big local companies or big enterprises that are targeting their ad campaign for the same locality.

Also, think about this. There aren’t as many people in your town compared to the whole country. So, fewer people are going to see your ads. This makes it a bit tricky to make your ads work really well locally.

But don’t worry; in this blog post, we’re going to give you 10+ tips to rock your local PPC ad campaigns.

We’ve tested these tips, and they work! And now we are going to share our experience with our readers so that they can also benefit out of it.

Welcome to adstage.io! Our mission is to help you become a better marketer. If you’re new here, we bring you informative blog posts and articles on PPC (Pay-per-click), SEO, digital marketing, and so on.

If that grabs your interest, consider subscribing to our newsletter, and feel free to like or comment on this blog post.

Today, we’re going to explore the world of local PPC campaigns on Google Ads, especially for businesses catering to specific locations.

Let’s explore how you can get the best results from your local PPC campaigns.

How People Search Online

Before we jump into tips and tricks, let’s understand how people actually search for your services online. 

There are three main ways:

1. Generic: Starting with the generic method, these people are broad searchers, typing things like “best plumber” or “pizza delivery.” They might not be in your immediate area, but they’re still potential customers! Think of them like tourists exploring your city.

2. Geo-based: Moving on to geo-targeted keywords, now we’re talking! These savvy searchers use terms like “plumbers near me” or “[service] in [your neighborhood]”. They know exactly what they want and where they want it, like experienced locals ordering their favorite dish.

3. Proximity-based: The last type is a proximity-based search. These people are on a mission! They’re searching for things like “emergency plumber now” or “pizza open late.” Imagine them as very hungry, desperately looking for a slice of pizza.

Now that we’ve covered the three ways people search for local services, let’s talk about how we can use that knowledge to organize our local ad campaigns and also explore some additional helpful tips. 

We’ve got 10 valuable tips coming up on setting up a local campaign to rock it up. 

If you’re enjoying what you’re reading, please share it on social media to help others. Also, make comments if you’re facing any challenges with your local PPC ad campaigns. We read and respond to almost every comment, so let’s get started with the ten things you can do to make your local PPC campaigns even better!

Top 10 Tips For Local PPC Ad Campaigns

Running a successful local PPC campaign requires more than just ads; it’s about connecting with your community and understanding what makes your business stand out.

Let’s explore the top 10 tips to maximize your local PPC efforts.

Tip #1: Know Your Goals

A successful local PPC campaign requires clearly defined objectives. 

Here’s a brief summary:

1. Define Clear Objectives: Whether you want to increase foot traffic, phone calls, or online sales, make sure your goals are clear. Conduct proper research to set a realistic goal. Make them measurable for effective tracking.

2. Guide Your Strategy: Tailor your approach based on your goals. Craft ad copy, choose keywords, and optimize landing pages to align with your specific objectives.

3. Guide Your Measurement: Set up key performance indicators (KPIs) for each goal. Use analytics tools to monitor performance, make data-driven adjustments, and ensure success.

Knowing your goals not only shapes your strategy but also guides measurement, allowing for informed adjustments to optimize your local PPC campaign.

Tip #2: Claim Your Local Listings

Claiming your local listings, especially on Google Business Profile, formerly known as Google My Business (GMB), is an important step to improve your online presence and connect with potential customers.

Google Business Profile (GMB) serves as a virtual storefront, providing valuable information about your business when users search online. 

Here are some key points to consider:

Respond to GMB Reviews and Engage with Customers:

• Actively monitor and respond to customer reviews on your GMB listing.
• Engaging with customers shows your commitment to customer satisfaction.
• Responding to reviews helps build trust and credibility with your audience.

Share Promotions and Updates on Your Business Profile:

• Use the “Posts” feature on GMB to share promotions, events, or important updates.
• Regularly updating your GMB listing keeps your audience informed about current offerings.
• Promotions and updates can attract potential customers and encourage repeat business.

Optimize Your GMB for Better Visibility in Search Results:

• Complete all relevant information on your GMB profile, including accurate business hours, contact details, and categories.
• Use high-quality images to showcase your business and create an appealing visual representation.
• Ensure your business location is accurately marked on the map for users searching for local services.
• Regularly update information, such as business hours, especially during holidays or special events.

Bing Places for Business and Other Directories:

• Bing Places for Business: Similar to Google Business Profile, Bing Places for Business allows you to claim and verify your business listing on Bing. This ensures visibility on the Bing search engine.

• Other Business Directories: Apart from GMB and Bing, consider claiming your business listings on other popular directories like Yelp, Yahoo Local, Apple Maps, and TripAdvisor.

Listing your business in multiple directories improves its online presence and increases the likelihood of reaching a broader audience, as well as helping you win local PPC ads.

How to Do It:

• Visit the respective platforms (Bing Places, Yelp, etc.) and claim your business.
• Follow the verification process, which may involve receiving a postcard, a phone call, or an email.
• Provide accurate and consistent information across all directories.

Claiming your local listings is not only about having an online presence but actively managing and optimizing it.

By responding to reviews, sharing promotions, and ensuring accurate information, you create a positive and trustworthy image for your business, ultimately attracting more customers in your local area.

Tip #3: Hyper-Local Targeting

Hyper-local targeting is a super effective way to aim PPC ads at specific neighborhoods or landmarks, making them more relevant to local audiences.

Let’s break it down in detail.

1. Move Beyond Broad City Targeting:

• Strategic Approach: Instead of covering a large area, focus on specific parts of a city.

2. Utilize Zip Codes:

• Precision in Targeting: Use zip codes to find exact locations. This helps your ads target the right people.

3. Target Neighborhoods:

• Community Connection: Tailor your campaigns to connect with specific neighborhoods. Highlight local aspects to build a stronger connection.

4. Leverage Landmarks:

• Strategic Landmark Inclusion: Include famous landmarks in your ads. This makes your ads more connected to well-known locations, making them more relevant locally.

By embracing hyper-local targeting through zip codes, neighborhoods, and landmarks, your local PPC campaign gains precision, ensuring your message resonates with the right audience in the right places.

Tip #4: Keyword Research

Explore the details of keyword research to boost your local PPC ad performance.

Check out what to do:

Research Relevant Local Keywords: Look for words locals use when searching for your services. It’s like speaking their language in the online world.

Use Long-Tail Phrases: Choose longer phrases that match exactly what people might type. Think of it as being super specific to catch the right attention.

Check Out Competitors: Keep an eye on competitor keywords. Understand what keywords they are using in your local market and consider implementing strategic variations of those keywords through a competitive PPC analysis.

Avoid Negative Keywords: Choose your negative keywords wisely. Remove words that might bring in the wrong clicks, making your local PPC ads more precise for a better audience.

Tip #5: Speaking the Local Language

Discover how to connect with your local audience and boost your local PPC ad campaign. We’ll explore the details with examples customized for a local pizzeria.

1. Infuse Local Slang: Use slang that locals resonate with. For instance, if your pizzeria is in New York, incorporate phrases like “grab a slice” or “fold it like a local.”

Example: “Savor the cheesy goodness – grab a slice of heaven at [Your Pizzeria Name].”

2. Reference Local Landmarks: Mention nearby landmarks to create a sense of belonging. If your pizzeria is close to a famous park, highlight it in your ad.

Example: “Indulge in a pizza picnic near Central Park at [Your Pizzeria Name].”

3. Leverage Local References: Reference local events or traditions. If there’s a local festival, tie it into your ad to showcase community involvement.

Example: “Celebrate Bronx Week with our special pizza deals at [Your Pizzeria Name].”

By using local slang, mentioning landmarks, and tying into community events, your local PPC ads for the pizzeria blend seamlessly into the community chat, creating a stronger connection with the audience.

Tip #6: Location-specific landing pages

In local PPC, designing special landing pages for each area is a big win. These pages act like digital shops, showing off local deals and contact information. Now, let’s see how to make these pages super effective.

Local Content: Create content that speaks to locals. Talk about specific services and events. This not only gets people interested but also makes your ads more relevant.

Keywords: Sprinkle in local keywords naturally. This helps your pages match what locals are searching for, boosting the chances of your ads showing up.

Contact Details: Put your contact information front and center. Make it easy for people to reach out. Phone numbers, addresses, working hours, and maps all matter.

Eye-Catching Visuals: Use local images to catch attention. People connect with familiar scenes. This visual appeal can make a strong impression.

Mobile-Friendly: Optimize for mobile users. Many search on phones, so ensure your pages look great and work smoothly on mobile devices. As per stats, 63% of searches occur on mobile devices in the US.

These pages act as friendly guides, directing locals to the services they seek. Including this in your local PPC plan connects you locally using essential keywords.

Tip #7: Bid adjustments

In local PPC, not every location holds the same value. Bid adjustments will become your strategic tool for smart spending. Boost bids where profits flow; cut bids where they are less lucrative.

Location-specific Value: Analyze each area’s performance. Adjust bids to match the worth of each location.

Auction Price: Watch auction prices. Adjust bids to make the most of your budget.

Impression Share Strategy: Strategically adjust bids to prevent losing impression share.

Budget Efficiency: Align budget with actual value by distinguishing between locations.

Consolidation: Simplify by consolidating physically close locations into a single campaign.

Profit Tier Approach: Group locations into profit tiers to maximize overall campaign performance.

Bid adjustments guide your budget wisely. Recognizing diverse values, adjusting bids efficiently, and strategically managing impressions ensure success. It’s about investing where it counts in the competitive world of local paid search.

Tip #8: Use Extensions

In the cut-throat competition of local PPC advertising, the use of various extensions is a game-changer. To improve your local PPC ads, call extensions, location extensions, and review extensions are a powerful source of credibility and value.

Call Extensions: Provide a direct line to potential customers by enabling call extensions in your ads.

Location Extensions: Improve your ad’s relevance by incorporating location extensions, making it easy for users to find your business.

Review Extensions: Boost credibility and trust by showcasing positive reviews directly in your ads through review extensions.

Extensions are like magic boosts for your local PPC campaign. They help you talk to customers, show where you are, and build trust with reviews. It’s the secret recipe to make your ads stand out!

Tip #9: Google’s Search Partners 

Search partners expand your local PPC reach beyond Google’s search engine to websites, apps, and platforms. 

They include Google Maps, YouTube, and third-party sites. By leveraging Search Partners, your ads gain diverse placements, targeting local audiences in different online spaces. 

This extended visibility improves brand awareness, especially in Google Maps and YouTube, offering location-specific ad placements. 

Search Partners include a range of third-party websites and apps that collaborate with Google to display ads. 

Some notable examples of third-party websites and apps in the Search Partners network are:

• Yelp
• TripAdvisor
• AOL.com
• Amazon.com
• The New York Times
• The Weather Channel
• CNN.com
• The Wall Street Journal
• Forbes
• ASK.com
• Dictionary.com

More partners, more reach! Using Search Partners expands your local PPC to different platforms and publishers, reaching more people online.

Tip #10: Local PPC Success on a Budget

Budget certainly plays a crucial role in local PPC success, but there’s no one-size-fits-all answer due to its dependence on several factors:

1. Industry: Certain industries, like legal services or home improvement, typically have higher CPCs compared to bakeries or salons.

2. Location: Competitive and densely populated areas often have higher CPCs than smaller towns.

3. Campaign goals: Driving in-store visits will likely cost less than generating online sales.

4. Keyword targeting: Long-tail keywords tend to be cheaper than broader terms.

5. Bidding strategy: Automated bidding strategies like Target CPA (Cost-per-action) can optimize your budget based on performance goals.

Here’s how to approach your budget:

1. Start small and scale up: Set a comfortable initial budget based on your industry and risk tolerance. As you track results and identify winners, gradually increase your spending.

2. Focus on ROI: Calculate the cost per lead or acquisition and ensure your campaign generates leads at a profitable cost. Adjust your budget or bids to maintain profitability.

3. Prioritize profitable locations: If specific areas show higher conversion rates or lower CPCs (Cosp-per-click), allocate more budget towards them.

4. Utilize bid adjustments: Fine-tune bids based on day, time, or device to maximize efficiency. For example, you might increase bids during peak hours when more potential customers are searching.

5. Track results and optimize: Regularly analyze your campaign performance and identify areas for improvement. This might involve tweaking keywords, budgets, or landing pages.

Remember, even a small budget can be effective in local PPC if you target the right audience, choose relevant keywords, and optimize your campaigns for conversions. Start with a manageable budget, focus on profitability, and adjust as you learn and see results.

Tip #10+: Check Your Competitors

Keep an eye on your competitors’ campaigns and see if they’re adjusting their strategies. Be prepared to react and adapt your own tactics accordingly.

Regularly analyze your campaign performance and compare it to your competitors’. This will help you identify areas for improvement and stay ahead of the game.

Remember, competitor analysis isn’t about copying them blindly. It’s about understanding the local landscape, identifying opportunities, and using their data to inform your own unique and effective local PPC strategy.

If you want to know more about how to make a competitive PPC analysis, you can check out this blog post here.

Wait, here are the bonus tips:

Bonus tips:

• Leverage local events and holidays: Create special offers and ads tailored to local happenings.
• Embrace automation: Utilize automated bidding tools and ad scheduling to optimize for efficiency.
• Test and refine: Continuously experiment with different ad variations, keywords, and targeting to find what works best.
• Stay updated: Keep pace with Google Ads and local search algorithm changes as well as with the latest PPC trends to stay ahead of the curve.
• Consider professional help: If resources are limited, consider consulting a PPC specialist for your local campaigns.

By implementing these tips, you can attract more qualified leads, boost conversions, and ultimately win the local PPC game!

Conclusion:

Running ads for your local business is a bit different, but we’ve got you covered with 10+ proven tips to make it a success. At adstage.io, we’ve tested and approved these strategies to help your ads stand out in your community.

Local PPC can be challenging with a smaller budget and competition from big local companies. But don’t worry—our blog post shares practical tips that work, even for smaller audiences.

We start by understanding how people in your town search online. Then, we dive into 10 valuable tips, covering everything from setting clear goals and claiming your Google Business Profile to hyper-local targeting, keyword tricks, and special landing pages for each location.

We also explore smart budgeting, using bid adjustments strategically, and the magic of extensions like call and location extensions. Google’s Search Partners and competitor analysis are game-changers too.

Even if you’re on a budget, our tips help you prioritize and optimize. Bonus tips include leveraging local events, embracing automation, and staying updated with industry changes.

Hope you’ve learned something valuable from this blog. Feel free to let us know in the comments section as to how the tips have worked for you.