How to Use Local PPC to Get More Customers (Beginner’s Guide)

Are you spending your precious budget on paid ads only to get clicks from customers from across the country who will never buy your products?

Local PPC solves this problem. It puts your ads in front of people who can actually walk through your door, call your phone, or book your services. 

Instead of wasting money on random clicks, you can focus every dollar on your neighborhood, your city, or the exact areas where your best customers live.

For local businesses, localized PPC ads can lead to lower costs, higher conversion rates, and customers who actually show up.

In this article, I’ll show you exactly how to set up and run local PPC campaigns that work. You’ll learn what local PPC is, why it matters, and the proven strategies that drive real results.

In This Article:

What Is Local PPC?

Local PPC is pay-per-click marketing that targets people in specific geographic areas.

Unlike regular PPC campaigns that show your ads to anyone searching for your keywords, localized PPC narrows your audience to people in your city, neighborhood, or service area. You only pay when someone nearby clicks your ad.

Here’s what makes local PPC different:

• Geographic targeting. You choose exactly where your ads appear. Set a radius around your business, target specific zip codes, or pick entire cities.
• Local keywords. You bid on search terms that include location modifiers like “near me,” city names, or neighborhood names.
• Location extensions. Your ads show your address, phone number, and business hours right in the search results.
• Local intent. You reach people actively looking for services in their area, not browsing from across the country.

For example, an optometrist in Austin would target searches like “same day eye exams Austin” or “optometrist near me” within a 15-mile radius of their location. Someone searching from Houston wouldn’t see the ad.

According to WebFX, 65% of small and midsized businesses now use PPC advertising to reach customers. But many waste their budget on broad campaigns that attract the wrong audience.

Local PPC fixes this problem by focusing your spending on people who can become real customers.

Why Local PPC Matters for Your Business

I’ve seen local businesses transform their results when they switch from broad PPC to targeted local campaigns. Here’s why localized PPC works so well:

You Stop Wasting Money on Wrong Clicks

Every click costs money. When people from other states click your ads, you pay for traffic that will never convert. Local business PPC eliminates this waste by showing ads only to nearby searchers.

You Reach High-Intent Customers

People searching with local intent are ready to buy. When someone types “same-day HVAC repair near me,” they’re not researching options for next month—they need help right now. These aren’t casual browsers—they’re your next customers, and they’re ready to make a decision fast.

You Get Faster Results Than SEO

Local SEO takes months to show results. Local PPC ads appear at the top of search results immediately. You can start driving calls and visits today, not six months from now.

You Control Your Budget

You set daily spending limits and adjust them anytime. Start with $20 per day, see what works, and scale up when you’re ready. You’re never locked into long-term contracts.

You Compete with Bigger Companies

Large national brands can’t target your neighborhood better than you can. Local business PPC levels the playing field. Your ad appears right next to theirs, and customers often prefer local businesses.

Pro Tip: Start with a small geographic area around your business. Once you see good results, expand your radius gradually.

How Local PPC Works

Local PPC follows a simple process:

• You choose your location. Tell Google Ads or other platforms exactly where you want your ads to appear. Pick cities, zip codes, or draw a radius around your business.
• You select local keywords. Bid on search terms that include your location and service. Use keyword research tools to find what local customers actually search for.
• You create your ads. Write ad copy that mentions your location and unique selling points. Include your business name, service area, and what makes you different.
• You set your budget. Decide how much you’ll spend per day or per month. The platform will automatically manage your bids to stay within your budget.
• Someone searches locally. When a person in your target area searches for your keywords, your ad enters the auction.
• Your ad appears. If you win the auction, your ad shows at the top of their search results. They see your business name, location, phone number, and message.
• They click and convert. The searcher clicks your ad, visits your website or calls your number, and becomes a customer.
• You pay per click. You only pay when someone actually clicks your ad. No clicks means no cost.

Setting Up Your Local PPC Campaign (Step by Step)

I’ll walk you through setting up your first local PPC campaign. This guide works for Google Ads, which is where I recommend most local businesses start.

Step 1: Create Your Google Ads Account

Visit Google Ads and create an account. You’ll need a Google account and payment information. You won’t be charged until someone actually clicks your ad.

Step 2: Choose Your Campaign Goal

Select a campaign objective focused on driving calls, website conversions, or local actions.

For most local businesses, prioritize goals that generate phone calls or lead form submissions rather than general brand awareness.

Step 3: Set Your Geographic Targeting

Define where your ads will appear by selecting your target area. You can choose:

• Radius targeting: Set a specific distance around your business location
• City or town targeting: Select entire municipalities
• Zip code targeting: Pick specific postal codes
• Multiple locations: Add several areas if you serve different communities

I recommend starting with radius targeting. Begin with a smaller area where you know you can serve customers well, then expand based on performance.

Pro Tip: Exclude areas where you don’t operate. If you only serve certain neighborhoods, exclude the rest to avoid wasted clicks.

Step 4: Research Your Local Keywords

Use Google’s Keyword Planner (free tool inside Google Ads) to find local keywords.

Focus on terms that include:

• Your city or neighborhood name
• “Near me” searches
• Your service + location (example: “emergency electrician Brooklyn”)
• Local landmarks or areas

Choose 10-20 keywords to start. You can always add more later.

Step 5: Write Your Ad Copy

Your ad needs three headlines and two descriptions. Make them count:

• Headline 1: Include your main keyword and location (example: “24/7 Plumber in Austin”)
• Headline 2: Add your unique benefit (example: “Same-Day Service Available”)
• Headline 3: Include a call to action (example: “Call Now for Free Quote”)
• Description 1: Explain what you offer and why you’re different
• Description 2: Add social proof, guarantees, or special offers

Keep it simple. Focus on what the customer needs and how you’ll help them.

Step 6: Add Location Extensions

Location extensions show your address, phone number, and business hours directly in your ad. This makes it easier for customers to find and contact you.

Connect your Google Business Profile to automatically sync this information. I’ll cover this more in the strategies section below.

Step 7: Create Your Landing Page

Don’t send clicks to your homepage. Create a specific landing page that matches your ad’s message.

Your local landing page should include:

• A headline that matches your ad
• Your location and service area clearly stated
• Your phone number prominently displayed
• A simple form or booking system
• Customer reviews from local customers
• A map showing your location
• Your business hours

Step 8: Set Your Budget

Decide how much you’ll spend per day. Start small—even $10-20 per day can generate results for local businesses in smaller markets.

Google will show your ads throughout the day until your budget runs out. You can adjust this anytime.

Step 9: Launch Your Campaign

Review everything one more time, then publish your campaign. Your ads will go through a quick review (usually within 24 hours) and then start appearing.

Step 10: Monitor and Adjust

Check your campaign every few days. Look at:

• Which keywords are getting clicks
• What your cost per click is
• How many calls or form submissions you’re getting
• Which times of day perform best

Make small adjustments based on what you see. This is how you improve your results over time.

10 Proven Local PPC Strategies That Drive Results

1. Use “Near Me” Keywords Aggressively

“Near me” searches have exploded. People search for “coffee shop near me” or “dentist near me” constantly from their phones.

Add “near me” variations to your keyword list. Even though your location targeting already limits your audience, these keywords match high-intent searches.

2. Create Location-Specific Landing Pages

If you serve multiple cities or neighborhoods, create a separate landing page for each area. Don’t send everyone to the same generic page.

For example, a pest control company serving three cities should have three landing pages:

• pestcontrol.com/denver
• pestcontrol.com/aurora
• pestcontrol.com/boulder

Each page should mention that specific city multiple times and include local landmarks, testimonials from that area, and area-specific service details.

This increases relevance and improves your conversion rate.

3. Leverage Google Local Services Ads

Google Local Services Ads appear above regular PPC ads. They show your business profile, reviews, and a “Google Guaranteed” badge.

These ads work especially well for:

• Home services (plumbers, electricians, HVAC)
• Professional services (lawyers, accountants)
• Wellness services (dentists, chiropractors)

You only pay for actual leads (calls or messages), not clicks.

4. Use Geo-Fencing for Competitor Targeting

Geo-fencing lets you target specific locations with extreme precision. You can draw a virtual boundary around:

• Your competitors’ locations
• Local events where your customers gather
• Shopping districts where your target customers shop
• Business parks where your ideal clients work

When someone enters that area, your ads can appear on their device. This works particularly well for restaurants, retail stores, and local service providers.

Pro Tip: Don’t set your geo-fence too small. A radius of at least 1-2 miles works better than trying to target a single building.

5. Schedule Ads Based on Customer Behavior

Don’t run your ads 24/7 if customers only call during business hours. Look at when you actually get calls and appointments, then schedule ads for those times.

Check your data after 2-3 weeks and adjust your schedule based on when conversions actually happen.

6. Add Negative Keywords Relentlessly

Negative keywords prevent your ads from showing for irrelevant searches. This saves money and improves your results.

Common negative keywords for local businesses:

• “free”
• “DIY”
• “how to”
• “jobs” or “careers”
• “school” or “training”
• Cities you don’t serve
• Services you don’t offer

Review your search terms report weekly and add new negative keywords based on what you see.

7. Use Call Extensions and Track Calls

Many local customers prefer to call instead of filling out forms. Make it easy:

• Add call extensions to show your phone number in your ad
• Use call tracking numbers to measure which ads drive calls
• Make your phone number clickable on mobile

8. Test Ad Copy Variations Constantly

Never run just one ad. Create 3-4 variations with different headlines and descriptions. Google will automatically show the best performers more often.

Test different angles:

• Emphasize speed: “Same-Day Service”
• Emphasize expertise: “25 Years Experience”
• Emphasize convenience: “Open Weekends”
• Emphasize value: “Free Estimates”

Let your ads run for 2-3 weeks, then pause the worst performers and create new variations to test.

9. Sync Your Google Business Profile Perfectly

Your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) powers your location extensions and local search presence.

Make sure everything is accurate and complete:

• Business name, address, phone number
• Hours (including holiday hours)
• Service areas
• Photos of your location and team
• All services you offer
• Recent customer reviews

Update your profile whenever anything changes. Mismatched information between your ads and profile confuses customers and wastes your budget.

10. Use First-Party Data for Retargeting

Upload your customer email list to Google Ads. This lets you show ads to people who already know your business. These people already trust you, so they’re much more likely to use your services again.

Pro Tip: Create a separate campaign just for your customer list with special “welcome back” offers or loyalty discounts.

Common Local PPC Mistakes That Waste Your Budget

Here are some common local PPC mistakes to be aware of:

• Setting your location too broadly. Targeting your entire state or a 50-mile radius usually wastes money. Most local businesses can only serve customers within 10-20 miles effectively. Shrink your targeting to areas where you can actually deliver excellent service.
• Ignoring mobile optimization. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re missing tons of traffic. Test your site on your phone. Can people easily find your phone number? Does your contact form work on mobile? Does your site load quickly?
• Forgetting about landing page speed. Slow landing pages kill conversions. If your page takes more than 3 seconds to load, people leave before they see your offer. Use Google’s PageSpeed Insights to test your page speed and get specific recommendations for improvement.
• Using generic ad copy. Ads that could work for any business in any city don’t work well. Include your city name, neighborhood, or local landmarks in your ad copy.
• Not tracking conversions. If you don’t know which ads drive calls, form fills, or sales, you can’t improve your campaigns. Set up conversion tracking from day one. This data shows you what’s working so you can do more of it.
• Setting up once and never checking in. Local PPC management is ongoing. Competitors change their bids. Keywords trend up or down. Customer behavior shifts. Check your campaigns at least once per week. Make small adjustments based on what you see.

How to Track Your Local PPC Results (The Easy Way)

Launching local PPC campaigns is only half the work — the real results come from knowing which ads, keywords, and locations actually turn into calls, bookings, and customers.

The problem? Connecting Google Ads and GA4 is confusing, and most small businesses never get conversion tracking set up correctly.

That’s where MonsterInsights comes in.

Why MonsterInsights Is Ideal for Local PPC Tracking

MonsterInsights automatically configures the right GA4 events for you, so you can track:

• Phone call clicks
  
• Contact form submissions
  
• Click-to-call activity
  
• Button clicks and lead actions
  
• Your highest-value PPC keywords
  

All without touching code or manually configuring tags.

In addition to Google Ads, MonsterInsights can help you track conversions on other popular ads platforms including:

• Pinterest Ads
• LinkedIn Ads
• Meta Ads
• Microsoft Ads
• TikTok Ads
• Snapchat Ads

This is all thanks to its PPC Tracking Addon.

View Your PPC Performance Right Inside WordPress

With MonsterInsights’ Traffic and Search Console reports, you can quickly see:

• Which landing pages convert best
  
• What search terms people use to find you
  
• Where your visitors are located
  
• How local customers behave once they click your ad
  

Everything’s presented in plain language — no analytics jargon.

Track Google Ads Conversions in Minutes

MonsterInsights makes it easy to:

• Connect Google Ads and GA4
  
• Enable accurate event tracking
  
• See which ads and keywords drive real conversions

Get MonsterInsights and start tracking your local PPC results instantly!

I hope you found this guide to local PPC marketing helpful. You may also want to check out the following articles:

• Google Ads Creation Right from Your MonsterInsights Dashboard
• How to Master PPC Analysis: Best Tools, Metrics & Strategies
• Master PPC ROI: How to Calculate and Improve Your Return
• Your Complete Guide to AI-Optimized PPC Campaigns
• Best PPC Metrics & KPIs to Track

Frequently Asked Questions: Local PPC Marketing

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