Running a local ad campaign can be an inexpensive way to gain targeted traffic.  The following is a list of tips to help you get the most out of your local ad budget.
 
Local-campaigns targeting can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.
 


Geo-Targeting
The first way you can target a campaign on a local level is by location.  Google, Yahoo, and MSN call this "geo-targeting" or "location targeting", and it is based on IP addresses.  Hanny has a great series on geo-targeting in Clickable University.  This is a fast way to launch a local campaign without having to combine location specific keywords.  

How to get started? Under Campaign Settings in AdWords, or under the Manage tab and Campaign Settings in Clickable, you can set the location where you would like your ads to run. You can select broad match keywords for your campaign, and they will only be triggered within the geographic region you select.  With location targeting, you can select broad match keywords for your campaign, and they will only be triggered within the geographic region you select. You should know that location-based targeting, while fairly accurate, is not 100% accurate because it is based on IP addresses.  Many ISPs route their customers' IP through hubs, and often these hubs are located in another city.  If you are running a campaign in a small town, it might be best to broaden the range of your campaign to include the next couple of towns as well.
 


Geo-Modification
The second way you can target a local campaign is by using geo-modified terms.  By selecting location specific terms you can make sure that only people searching for what you are offering in a specific location get served your ads.  Often this means creating two keyword lists and combining them to get the broadest set of keywords possible.  The first list of terms should be your products or services.  The second list of terms should be variations of location specific terms.
 


For example:


List 1: candy; candy canes; candy corn; maple syrup

List 2: San Diego; San Diego, CA; San Diego, California

Then combine each of the terms with the location variants.
 

i.e. Candy San Diego; Candy San Diego CA; Candy San Diego California.
 


This will lead to a long list of location specific terms that can be
run on a national level, and still only trigger your ad when someone
is searching for the product or service you offer in a specific
location.
 
There are a couple of programs built specifically to create campaigns based on keyword lists, Speed PPC and Efficient PPC .  They combine multiple lists and then allow you to create ad variations, set bids, and easily upload your new highly targeted campaigns to the three major search marketing platforms.  
 
Having tested both Speed PPC and Efficient PPC, I recommend Speed PPC.  It has a great feature set, a simple interface and a short learning curve.  
 
If you are going to be deploying multiple ad campaigns, both Speed PPC and Efficient PPC can dramatically reduce your build time. 
  
Often running a local ad campaign means you will have limited competition and a much lower CPC to maintain 1st page results.  Start with a max CPC of $.05 and adjust upwards based on average position.
 
I wish you good returns with your new local ad campaigns. 
 


Disclaimer: Clickable is in no way affiliated with Speed PPC or Efficient PPC; the opinions expressed in this post are solely those of the author.

Trace, Clickable SEM Guru

Note: Clickable employees volunteer several hours a week to helping other search marketers succeed. "Clickable Gurus" participate in numerous online search communities to provide straightforward answers to numerous questions, and, each week, one of the gurus posts a search marketing tip to the Clickable Blog. 

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