01 / A quick walkthrough
Why I put this together.
I live in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and I sometimes see ads for businesses that don’t serve my area. If I sent you this guide, that may be how we crossed paths.
One out-of-area view doesn’t tell the whole story of a campaign. But it is a good reason to check where your ads are being delivered. This video shows where to look.
Prefer another player? Watch on YouTube
A quick clarification to the video: location targeting is not a perfect geographic fence. A selected radius doesn’t guarantee that every person who sees your ad lives inside it. Use this walkthrough to review your settings, then check the locations of the inquiries you receive. Meta’s interface and available controls can vary.
02 / Review your ad set
Match your ads to the places you work.
If someone manages your ads, send them this guide and ask them to review your location settings and delivery. If you manage them yourself, start here.
Open the campaign and its ad set.
In Meta Ads Manager, open Campaigns, find the campaign you want to review, and select the relevant ad set. Choose Edit. Repeat this check for each ad set you’re running.
Find Audience, then Locations.
Review the locations already selected. In the walkthrough, Locations appears under the audience controls. Look for a country, region, or other included area that is broader than the territory you serve.
Choose your actual service area.
Set the available location and radius controls to match where you can take jobs. Remove unwanted included areas. In my example, I use Fort Wayne with a 30-mile radius. That’s an example, not a recommended radius for every business.
Read any additional reach options.
The screen in the video includes an option to reach people interested in the selected location. If you see a similar option, read its explanation before enabling it and consider whether it fits a business that can only work locally.
Review, publish, and follow up.
Review the changes before publishing them. Afterward, keep checking where inquiries come from. Put your service area in the ad copy and ask for the job’s city or ZIP code on your inquiry form.
For Meta’s own documentation, see location targeting help (a Facebook login may be required).
03 / Before you close Ads Manager
Your local ads checklist.
Work through these six checks. Print a copy if you’d like to keep it beside you.
04 / After the click
The right people need
the right next step.
Once someone local clicks your ad, can they quickly tell what you do, whether you serve their town, and how to contact you? That’s where a focused local website can help.
A little help now. A possibility for later.
What happens after
your next ad click?
If this helped, put it to use. And if your next hurdle is a website that shows what you do and where you do it, that’s what I build at The Code Zone.
We can start with your services and service area, then build a website with hosting and ongoing updates in a monthly plan. Phone tools and lead alerts are there when you need them.
Thanks for watching. I hope this helps.
Rob
More for local businesses: Why does a local contractor need a website?