Make Your Local PPC Campaigns Really Soar With These 5 Tips

Local pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns significantly boost a business's visibility within its community. By targeting specific geographic areas, these campaigns attract nearby customers actively seeking services or products.

Crafting an effective local PPC strategy involves the following strategies:

1. Geotargeting
2. Local keywords
3. Location extensions
4. Localized ad content
5. Mobile optimization
6. Ad scheduling
7. Monitor local competitors

Find out how a local PPC management agency can help you make local PPC campaigns that soar. Let’s go!

If you want to learn how Digital Authority Partners can increase your PPC effectiveness, watch this video!

1. Use Geotargeting

Geotargeting helps businesses focus their ads on areas where potential customers are located. Advertising in the right places allows businesses to reach customers who are actively seeking their products and services.  

This precision in targeting increases the chances of attracting customers who are more likely to engage and make purchases, maximizing the impact of advertising efforts within a specific geographic area. 

Successful geo-targeting involves these best practices:

• Be specific in choosing the target locations. Focus on areas where potential customers are or where your business operates. 
• Use city names, ZIP codes, or radius targeting to narrow the audience effectively.
• Incorporate location-specific keywords in the ad copy. Use terms that locals would likely use when searching for products or services in your area. (More on using local keywords later.)
• Tailor ad content to reflect the community or target area. Highlight events, landmarks, or references that resonate with the audience in that specific location to make ads more relatable.
• Implement location extensions to display the business address, contact details, and a map alongside the ad. 
• Adjust PPC bidding strategies for different locations based on performance. Allocate higher bids for areas that drive more conversions or have higher value, and refine bids for lower-performance areas.

Continuously test different geo-targeting strategies and analyze the results. Experiment with various locations, demographics, or ad formats to understand which combinations work best for the business and optimize based on those findings.

2. Include Local Keywords

Local keywords directly connect businesses to the community they serve. Using location-specific terms in ad content ensures the ads appear when locals search for nearby services or products. These keywords help businesses stand out among competitors and significantly improve the chances of attracting nearby customers actively seeking solutions, maximizing the efficiency of your PPC campaign. 

Find and use local keywords effectively in PPC campaigns with these local PPC management agency tips:

• Conduct thorough keyword research, focusing on location-specific terms. Use tools such as Google Keyword Planner or search data to identify keywords that include city names, neighborhood references, or regional phrases related to the business.
• Target long-tail keywords that include the location and specific services or products offered. These phrases tend to be more specific and have lower competition, making it easier to target a relevant audience.
• Create dedicated landing pages for different targeted areas. Incorporate localized keywords into the landing page content, headings, and meta tags to align with users' search intent.
• Analyze competitors' websites and ads to identify which keywords they are targeting. This helps to understand their strategies and discover potentially effective local keywords.
• Consider using customer feedback, reviews, or insights to identify commonly used phrases or terms related to the business in the community. Incorporate these terms into the keyword strategy for increased relevance.

By incorporating these strategies, businesses can effectively identify and leverage local keywords in their PPC campaigns

3. Add Location Extensions

Location extensions provide essential information such as addresses and contact details directly in the ad. This feature helps potential customers find businesses easily, encouraging immediate engagement. 

By showing these details alongside the ad, businesses make it convenient for nearby customers to visit or contact them, enhancing the effectiveness of local PPC campaigns by facilitating direct interaction and conversions. 

Consider these techniques to use extensions in local PPC campaigns:

• Ensure the business's address, phone number, and other contact details provided in the local extension are accurate and up-to-date. Inaccurate information can confuse potential customers and hinder their ability to reach the business.
• Consider multiple-location coverage. If your business operates in various locations, set up separate location extensions for each area. This helps provide users with more specific information based on their proximity to different branches or offices.
• Use location extensions to target specific geographic areas relevant to your business. Adjust PPC targeting settings to show different location extensions based on where users search, ensuring relevance.
• Include clear and compelling call-to-actions (CTAs) in the location extensions, such as "Call Now" or "Get Directions."
• Direct users to location-specific landing pages corresponding to each location extension. Align the ad copy and extension information with the content on these landing pages.

Regularly monitor the performance of location extensions. Analyze metrics such as clicks, impressions, and conversions attributed to each extension. Use this data to refine the PPC strategy, focusing more on locations that generate higher engagement or conversions.

4. Create Localized Ad Content

Businesses can connect with their audience by mentioning local events, landmarks, or references, making ads more relatable and engaging. Local content helps businesses create a sense of familiarity and trust within the community, encouraging customers to engage with the ads and consider the offered products or services. These ultimately improve the effectiveness of local PPC campaigns.

Consider these techniques for creating effective localized ad content in local PPC campaigns:

• Incorporate references, landmarks, events, or phrases that resonate with the targeted area to make ads feel more relevant and relatable to the audience.
• Showcase promotions or deals specifically tailored to the community. Mention exclusive or relevant discounts, events, or services.
• Ensure the ad includes accurate contact details, such as the business address, phone number, or directions to the nearest store or branch.
• Use ad extensions such as location or call extensions to enhance ad content with specific information, such as maps, nearby locations, or click-to-call options.
• Craft ad messaging that speaks directly to the needs or preferences of the audience. Tailor the content to address local challenges or highlight how the business solves problems.
• Experiment with variations of ad content to see what resonates best with the audience. Test headlines, descriptions, or visuals and analyze which versions drive better engagement or conversions.

Implementing these strategies helps businesses create ad content that feels personalized, relevant, and engaging to the audience.

5. Follow Mobile Optimization

Mobile optimization is crucial for local PPC because many people search for services or products using mobile devices. Ensuring mobile-friendly ads and landing pages makes it easy for users to engage with content on their phones or tablets. 

A seamless mobile experience encourages potential customers to act, prompting calls or visits to a business. These maximize the impact of local PPC campaigns by catering to users' preferred devices and behaviors. 

These techniques optimize local PPC campaigns for mobile devices:

• Ensure landing pages are mobile-friendly and responsive. They should load quickly and display correctly on various mobile devices.
• Include prominent click-to-call buttons in the ads and landing pages to make it easy for mobile users to contact the business directly from their smartphones. 
• Utilize location extensions and call extensions specifically designed for mobile users. Provide relevant information, such as the business's address, phone number, and directions, in a format optimized for mobile viewing.
• Craft ad copy and landing page content that is concise and easy to read on smaller screens. Use bullet points or short paragraphs to convey the message clearly without overwhelming a mobile screen.
• Optimize the website's loading speed for mobile devices. Minimize large images, use caching, and reduce unnecessary scripts to ensure fast loading times, which is crucial for mobile users.
• Experiment with mobile-specific ad formats such as AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) or mobile-friendly display ads. These formats cater to mobile users' preferences and help enhance the effectiveness of local PPC campaigns on mobile devices.

Implementing these mobile optimization strategies helps ensure your local PPC campaigns are well-suited for mobile users. These provide a seamless and engaging experience that encourages them to take action and engage with your business.

6. Consider Ad Scheduling

Ad scheduling allows businesses to display ads when their audience is most active or likely to convert. By scheduling ads strategically, companies can reach potential customers when they're most receptive, increasing the chances of engagement and conversions. 

With this precision in timing, marketers maximize the impact of local PPC campaigns by ensuring ads show at optimal moments. Follow these local PPC management agency strategies to optimize ad scheduling:

• Analyze data to understand when the audience is most active and likely to engage. Adjust ad schedules to align with peak times when potential customers search for products or services.
• Use dayparting to schedule ads for specific times or days of the week when the target audience is most responsive. For instance, a restaurant should consider showing ads during lunch or dinner hours.
• Adjust ad schedules based on seasonal trends or events. For example, increase ad visibility during holidays or special events to capitalize on heightened interest or purchasing behavior.
• Keep an eye on when competitors are running their ads. Consider adjusting the ad schedule to coincide with or avoid overlapping with their campaigns for better visibility.
• Experiment with different ad schedules and time slots. Test variations to identify which specific hours or days generate the most engagement and conversions, then focus the budget on those high-performing time slots.

Regularly review and optimize ad schedules based on performance data. Make adjustments to refine the schedule and ensure ads show at the most effective times for engaging the audience.

7. Monitor Local Competitors

Monitoring competitors in local PPC helps businesses understand what strategies work in the area and how they can stand out. Observing competitors' tactics allows for adjustments in campaigns to differentiate and attract customers effectively. 

Staying informed about competitors allows companies to refine their approaches, ensuring their ads resonate better and gain an edge in reaching the audience. 

Maximize the impact of PPC efforts within the community with these monitoring strategies:

• Use online tools such as SEMrush, SpyFu, or Ahrefs to track and analyze competitors' PPC strategies. These tools provide insights into their ad copy, keywords, and budget allocation.
• Monitor the keywords your competitors are targeting in their local PPC campaigns. Identify high-performing keywords they use and consider incorporating similar ones into your strategy.
• Analyze competitors' ad copy and messaging. Understand how they position themselves, highlight their unique selling points, and engage with the audience in their ads.
• Keep track of where and when the competitors' ads appear. Note the placements and schedules that seem adequate for them, and consider adjusting your strategies accordingly.
• Monitor competitors' spending and bidding strategies. This insight helps you understand their priorities and how they allocate their budget across different campaigns or locations.

Regularly check for any updates or changes in the competitors' campaigns. These include alterations in ad messaging, landing pages, or new offers they might introduce. Stay agile and adapt your strategy based on these observations.

Summing Up

By implementing these strategies, businesses can optimize their local PPC campaigns to effectively reach and engage with the target audience, driving more traffic and conversions. 

Learn more about how local PPC can help your business connect with your audience and provide engaging offers. Contact Digital Authority Partners, the most experienced local PPC management agency, today.