Adwords Location Targeting

Google recently released an infographic highlighting 3 tech trends that marketers should watch out for in 2015 – http://goo.gl/J6TL66. The red mobile section caught my eye in particular as it mentioned two very interesting points:

“Roughly 1 in 5 searches on Google are related to location.”
“Searches for “nearby” have grown 5 times since 2011 as people look for what’s around them.”

It can be easy at times to neglect location-specific keywords, but these insights are further evidence of why we shouldn’t forget to apply this good practice (in the appropriate circumstances). Not only does it provide you with the opportunity to capture additional traffic but at a rate of 1 in 5 searches being location-specific, it’s safe to say that this traffic is also going to be significantly relevant; just remember to include the location name in your ad copies to boost relevancy and CTR averages.

The bigger surprise to me personally was the statistics based around the search “nearby”. With an incredible growth rate of 5 times in four years, this can be an additional source of traffic to tap into by expanding your keyword lists with the inclusion of the term. This is a great opportunity for physical service providers, especially when considering the ad extensions on offer to further attract these individuals. 

If you’re looking to boost relevant traffic or simply want to attract local customers then do your accounts a favor and check to see whether you have these location-specific search terms included in your keyword lists!