Google AdWords™ For Dummies®, 3rd Edition

Setting Up Local Campaigns

Yes, campaigns, plural. Even though the traffic from each local campaign may be paltry in comparison with the numbers you might see from national campaigns, you're still going to manage bids based on the value of a click. And different keyword match types, networks, and devices will attract visitors of varied interest in your offer. The best way to make local AdWords marketing profitable is to separate traffic sources into separate campaigns based on value. In Chapter 10, you discover how to clone campaigns quickly and easily using AdWords Editor. You'll use that technique here to create campaigns of ever-expanding reach and risk.

To create a local campaign from scratch, log in to AdWords and navigate to the Campaigns tab. Click the New Campaign button just above the data table, on the left. Name the campaign, including the words SEARCH, EXACT, and LOCAL in the name, along with a description of the contents of the campaign.

Location settings

Time to make location settings. Click the Edit link next to Locations. You'll see a list of locations to choose from, starting with the entire planet (minus the moon and presumably, the space station) and targeting tighter and tighter through country, region, metro area, and finally city.

Most local campaigns target at the city or metro area level. You can simply select one of the radio buttons to select that level, or you can click the Select One or More Other Locations button to bring up a tool that allows you to ...